/sci/ - Science & Math

>>7690996
>What is it that needs to be done in the navigation area?
to quote:
4. Which sensors, if any, should be incorporated into the tube to aid navigation? How should the pod maintain accurate navigation knowledge within the tube?

7 NAVIGATION AIDS
Every 100 feet, a 2-inch wide reflective circumferential stripe will be applied to the inner circumference of the tube. The stripes will be located on the upper 180° of the tube (“9 PM to 3 PM”). The stripe material will consist of Reflective Tape in Fluorescent Red-Orange Color (P/N 75050060534).
At 1,000 feet from the end of the tube, the upper 180° of the tube will be split into two 90° sections. The right side of the tube will continue to use the same Fluorescent Red-Orange tape. The left side of the tube will use Reflective Fluorescent Lime-Yellow tape (P/N 75050060518) for the remainder of the tube. The pattern on both sides of the tube will be the same, color will be the only difference.
At 1,000 feet, a pattern of twenty 2-inch wide stripes separated by 2-inch “blank sections” of the underlying steel tube will be applied as a “1,000 feet left” marker for the Pods. The entire installation is thus 78 inches long.
Similarly, at 500 feet from the end of the tube, a pattern of ten 2-inch wide stripes separated by 2-inch “blank sections” of the underlying steel tube will be applied as a “500 feet left” marker for the Pods. The entire installation is thus 38 inches long.
The entire interior of tube will be illuminated throughout at standard room levels using standard “white” floodlighting from directly above the track. Based on Design Weekend feedback, it is possible that this is changed to narrow-band illumination. Soon after Design Weekend, full lighting specifications (and reflectivity data for the steel) will be released.
See pic related for depiction of optical markings.

Basically detecting markings with an LED photodiode and microcontroller and adjusting Pod speed accordingly.