Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!ukc!its63b!epistemi!edai!ceb
From: ceb@edai.ed.ac.uk (Colin Bridgewater)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Expert Systems in the Railroad Industry.
Message-ID: <73@edai.ed.ac.uk>
Date: 21 Apr 88 22:54:47 GMT
References: <8816@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Reply-To: ceb@edai (Colin Bridgewater)
Followup-To: ceb@uk.ac.ed.edai, ceb@uk.ac.ed.aipna.
Distribution: comp.ai
Organization: Dept. of AI, Univ. of Edinburgh, UK
Lines: 53
Keywords: AI, Expert Systems, Dynamic Programming, Appropriate Technology.
Summary: Brief thought to add....

In article <8816@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> lagache@violet.berkeley.edu (Edouard Lagache) writes:
>
>
                                            ....for those interested in
>     computers and trains: what sort of expert systems have developed for
>     the railroad industry?  It seems to me that there are a number of
>     promising areas:
>
>     1.)  Scheduling.
>
>     2.)  Optimal switching moves and train assembly.
>
>     3.)  Cargo routing and loading.
>
>     4.)  Equipment Maintenance.
>
>          Does anyone know of what work (if any) has been done by railroads
>     or A.I. outfits in this area?  Interestingly enough, Dreyfus would
>     probably claim that the first 3 areas would be very promising domains
>     for expert systems.


  Just to get my two penn'orth in, whatever happened to dynamic programming
for scheduling, cargo-space optimisation and inventory control etc ?  This
well-worn technique is quite adequate for the majority of purposes envisaged
by EL. I mention this to raise a wider issue which was possibly not in the
mind of the original sender, namely that of the desire to throw ever more
complex solution procedures at the simplest of problems....

  Why should we want to implement an expert system, when adequate techniques 
exist already ? That is, is the application of expert system technology
appropriate to the magnitude and complexity of the problem ? Should we be
advocating the application of such 'high-tech' solutions to all and sundry ?
I have no doubt that such systems could be made to work, don't get me wrong 
on that, I just question whether the level of technology required in order to 
do so is justified. Surely it is better to apply the simplest solutions when-
ever possible.

  Having said that, I too, would be interested to hear of any research, actual
implementations etc that are around. As an engineer involved in AI, I look for
simple solutions, in the (vain ?) hope of being able to debug them when things
go wrong..........
     
                                                Colin Bridgewater
                                                Univ of Edinburgh


P.S. there is an expert system around that diagnoses faults and discusses
     repair strategies on diesel-electric locomotives. Unfortunately, I don't
     have any references to hand, but I hope that this jogs someones memory.
     
    
   The Happy Hacker loves to go a-wandering, it's legal in the UK (official).