Distance, speed, time – these are the parameters that tell us how long it will take us to travel between start point and destination. We used to work it out for ourselves using a map and the average speed we were likely to be able to travel, now electronic components do it for us, and so much better. Most cars have an electronic route finder and we simply key in our destination; this wonderful little box of tricks then calculates and recalculates as we progress, whether we take the shortest, fastest or most scenic route, or encounter changing traffic conditions. This is all down to satellite technology – not just one satellite but a very minimum of three – and a whole world of high tech, sophisticated electronic components.
They are everywhere we travel now. Take your Oyster card, for example. Its computer chip knows where you are and where you have been – and when – and so does Transport for London, therefore. I called up once to find out where I could renew my card and they informed me that, yes, they could see I only took buses and agreed it wasn’t convenient for me to use a tube station - it is a bit spooky!
There are electronic components we don’t think of because we don’t encounter them – in trains, planes, ships, on the underground, on buses - from the cctv to the black box. Lorry drivers are monitored for speed and time on the road, for their safety and ours. There are failsafe devices on the rail network to ensure trains don’t pass signals at red. On the roads there are electronics controlling traffic signals. Many complex and busy city centres rely on a brain to keep traffic flowing through junctions, and if it goes wrong it can be highly inconvenient for the motorist. All highways authorities have nerve centres to monitor this complicated high tech, and to view it too with cameras which send back images that are far clearer and sharper than the earlier grainy things. If you exceed the speed limit and get snapped by a speed camera you will know only when you get notified of the fine, and you’ll be invited to view your image online!
Yes, as you move through time and distance in life, there will increasingly be electronic components to speed you on your way, monitor your progress, and help keep you safe.