HC Service Rail Available Security
To take care of the HC's delivery and collection services, an automated system of residential service rails operating below ground level, will be implemented. It will resemble and function like an
airports automated baggage handling system
and will run along side the
HC's metro line tunnels.
It will be used to deliver items and goods such as mail, packages, groceries and, using specially sealed bins for cleanliness, it will be used for the collection of garbage and recyclables. (Similar (pneumatic) systems exists on a smaller scale as mainly an automated postal delivery system in large buildings/skyscrapers and also were/are found in cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, etc. See
here)
The HC Service Rail will also connect with the
HC's surrounding Port
by a service rail being laid along the sides of the
HC's 14 port bridges
The many advantages of this system include the reduction in need of manpower for these services, the near elimination of the need of in-person displacements to procure goods (shopping); energy wise, not having to, by default, use up energy to displace a personal vehicle (1361 kg|3000 lbs) and its passenger(s) (68 kg|150 lbs each) to e.g., pick up a 1 kg (2 lbs) item; thus resulting in much less need for transportation energy/fuels. This example alone is at least 99.9% more efficient in energy only. Multiply this example by several repetitions per week and then by over 1 million households and the tremendous energy savings can be seen here.
Also, to further save on energy needs, the system will always be seeking to keep packages moving at an even pace, even it has to be at a slower pace in order to avoid "stop-and-go" instances as most transportation energy is consumed from having to accelerate a vehicle to a cruising speed from a dead start. Using rapid, system wide observation and calculations, the non-stop, "cruising" speed and path of each bin will be predetermined in order to avoid, as much as possible, any stops or slowdowns during transportation. Bins will also be of varying sizes in order to match the size of the mail/parcel it will be transporting. A person mailing an item will input these dimensions, and also weights, when they are setting up a mail/parcel pick up.
In order to keep the material needs for this entire system to a minimum, all lanes will be two-directional but only having one physical lane. Therefore both to and from packages will share the same lanes. However, the system will be capable of regulating "traffic" in order to keep package carrying bins for colliding into each other. For example, if needed, a bin will be made to move at slower or faster pace, wait or temporarily move aside at an intersection in order to allow another bin to go by.
The service rail system will also create more free time for everyone to do other things than "run" errands.
As mail and packages will be coming directly to special mailing station in homes, a person and/or household will be able to set up their individual mailing station to first ask for their approval for a package that is in the process of being mailed to them. They could set up their system to automatically accept a list of names, but ask for approval from people who are not on their list. Webcam capabilities will also make it possible for a recipient to obtain secure, a visual confirmation of what is being sent to them before it is mailed. A person will also have to unmistakably "sign for" each of their mailings.
May 28, 2008