HYBRID LOCOMOTIVES FOR FREIGHT TRAINS
Trains moved $174 billion worth of freight across the U.S. last year alone. They ranked second only to trucks in how much freight they moved, yet were four times more fuel-efficient. With new technology, trains could gain an even greater edge.
Leading the charge: BNSF Railway Company, which operates one of the largest freight railroad networks in North America, will demonstrate a battery-powered locomotive paired with diesel locomotives to power a freight train in California within two years. BNSF will run the pilot program with help from GE Transportation, which is developing the locomotive. Adding even one battery-powered locomotive to the train could reduce its fuel consumption by up to 15%, according to Alan Hamilton, general manager of systems engineering at GE Transportation.
Read more about the hybrid locomotives here.
GE AVIATION ACCELERATOR BRINGS TECH TO AMERICA’S MILITARY
The U.S. military has the world’s largest aircraft fleet, with more air power than the top 10 commercial airlines combined — but with that big fleet comes big demands for upkeep, as the armed forces spend $75 billion a year on maintenance alone. On Oct. 4, just a few blocks from the White House, GE Aviation opened an Accelerator to help the military keep pace with some of the challenges.
Fast forward: Staffed with data scientists, software developers and engine maintenance specialists, the Washington Accelerator was created to help customers — including the Air Force, the Navy and NASA — solve discrete problems and develop scalable, repeatable processes for their own organizations. “Even a 1% improvement in maintenance efficiency would give the military resources it needs to modernize,” said Todd Stiefler, general manager of military digital solutions at GE Aviation. With the Accelerator, Stiefler and his team are expanding the solutions GE can offer the military, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and additive manufacturing.
Read more about the Accelerator here.
GE HEALTHCARE OUTLINES ETHICAL AI PRINCIPLES
Artificial intelligence has the ability to make sense of massive volumes of healthcare data, take away mundane repetitive tasks and enable precision health. But reaping the benefits of AI while mitigating the potential harms requires not just updated guidelines but also new approaches to the technology’s development.
AI and ethics: On Oct. 1, GE Healthcare took a proactive stance on the ethics of AI in healthcare by publishing a list of AI-related principles, which state that AI systems must, among other things:
- Be designed for the benefit, safety and privacy of the patient
- Be transparent and produce explainable outputs
- Guard against creating or reinforcing bias
Implementing these principles should guard against the adverse effects and biases possible if the development and deployment of AI is not done correctly. These steps include a commitment to diversity, transparency and partnership.
Read more about GE Healthcare’s commitment to ethical practices in AI here.
— VIDEO OF THE WEEK —
— QUOTE OF THE DAY —
“Fuel costs are comfortably the largest component in a rail operator’s costs.”
— Alan Hamilton, general manager of systems engineering at GE Transportation
Quote: GE Reports. Image: Getty Images.
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