Computers run the Green Bay train museum
Computers are everywhere in today’s world and they control just about everything. Take the Green Bay train museum. They have an extensive display of miniature trains and on one in particular there are no less than five separate trains. These trains all use the same tracks, switching on and off different runs and sometimes even going head on at full speed just switching to an off track in the nick of time. There has never been a crash reported on this track, something that would never happen if these trains were controlled by humans and not by computer. The program also controls the lights in the display. During any fifteen minute display the exhibit goes through a twenty four hour cycle. The computer slowly dims the room lights and dusk and turns on the house lights and street lights one by one. As the evening progresses the computer turns off individual house lights to signify people going to bed. Then dawn arrives and the room lights slowly come up and all the street lights are turned off. Who ever it was that programmed this display did a wonderful job, I have to think that it must have taken hours and hours to put it together and debug it.
Filed under: Business Software, Computers, Education
