Unsolved problems of electrical engineering in the field of transportation

THE ability to determine and state what comprises the outstanding problems in any field of activity implies very extensive knowledge of the developments in that field and to state the unsolved problems implies even more than this. When we begin to consider what ought to be done or attempted, the assumption is that there is an accepted standard or goal toward which we are striving. The author knows of no clear and comprehensive statement of the goals or ends of modern transportation. However, competition is making it increasingly clear that if public transportation is to survive, the industry must strive toward higher levels of convenience, speed, comfort, efficiency, and attractiveness. Today, the public assumes that safety has been given adequate consideration. This, then, is taken as the major premise of the paper; that any development that offers hope for improving these factors, through the effort of electrical engineers, is a proper problem for consideration.