By plane, train, car - what's in the future?

The development of transport infrastructure is moving to a new level. The demands of society for speed, safety, comfort and economy of movements are increasing. Intellectual systems are becoming an integral part of the transport infrastructure in both traffic management and vehicle management. Unmanned vehicles go on the road - safer and more predictable than man-driven vehicles. What specialists will be in demand in the future? Let's try to see.

I continue to deal with the Atlas of new professions, which was released this year (the first part , the second part ). Today we will take a closer look at what Atlas says about the transport industry.

After the first two publications, I was contacted by Pavel Luksha, the lead developer of Atlas, and suggested collecting meaningful comments on the professions to supplement the Atlas with them when his version 2.0 is being prepared - it’s already obvious that there are both overlooked professions and unnecessary ones. So if there is something to improve - let's try to improve. Another important note from the authors of the Atlas regarding what these “professions” are proposed in the Atlas: “We understand by the new profession the“ bundle ”of new competencies that are needed to solve the emerging new work tasks. New work tasks are connected with the fact that technologies, work rules in the industry, etc. are changing. ”
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Ground transportation

Professions that will appear until 2020
Security Engineer Specialist in analysis, calculation and monitoring of information, environmental and technological threats to transport networks.
Unlike road safety specialists, these engineers analyze and prevent problems related to the operation of transport networks in general. It is clear that with an increase in the speed of information transfer, there will be a request for faster movement in space and an increase in transport speeds, which means that the requirements for network infrastructure and their security will increase.

Cross-logistics operator. A professional whose competence includes the selection of the optimal method of cargo delivery and movement of people by different types of transport, monitoring and adjusting the flow of traffic through a network of different types of transport, monitoring the traffic flow of transport hubs, redistributing the flow of transport networks
At its core, it is a specialist in multimodal transport. Just taking into account the substantial growth in the volume and complexity of transportation, the requirements for such a specialist will be much higher. Today it is, in general, a dispatcher and organizer, in the future it is a specialist who is able to design transport flows, changing them on the fly if necessary.

Intermodal Transport Hub Designer. Develops projects of intermodal transport hubs (transfer systems from one type of transport to another), calculates their throughput (for cargo and passengers), durability and assesses the potential of their development.

Technician intermodal transport solutions. Solves the problem of servicing technologically uneven transport structure, intermodal cargo and transport hubs, infrastructure and station facilities
Such transport hubs, in fact, are transfer stations (only the transfer is carried out not only by passengers, but also by cargo). In Moscow, quite often there is a situation when a person lives in the area, arrives every morning in Moscow by train or bus, after which he takes the subway and goes to work. What it looks like in the morning is well known to everyone who was not lucky enough to be at this time, say, in Vykhino.



It is clear that specialists who will systematically approach the design of such intermodal nodes are critically needed in the future.

In turn, the technician of intermodal transport solutions is needed in order to “land” everything on the real ground after the design stage and continue to serve this infrastructure.

Designer of composite structures for vehicles. This is a specialist who develops structures (frames, siding, parts) of composite materials with a given weight, level of strength, durability, etc.
Composites in automobiles have been used for decades, carbon fiber is used in racing cars. However, due to the carbon fiber shortage, prices for carbon fiber have increased significantly, which today prevents their wider distribution. It is clear, however, that the properties of the same carbon fiber are so attractive (stronger and lighter than steel, for example) that today a significant number of laboratories are working to obtain cheaper composites, in particular, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has made significant progress in this area.

Designer of high-speed transport systems. Specialist engaged in the design of paths, interchanges and stations for high-speed railways, taking into account the characteristics of territories and climatic conditions.
High-speed trains are a global topic, because, for example, MIT has a special project for this — the High Speed ​​Rail Learning System .

Railways also plans to develop high-speed railways in Russia (while high-speed trains run only on the routes Moscow-St. Petersburg, Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg-Helsinki), today's roads are not really intended for them, and the number of claims to Sapsans from the people living along the roads, initially rolls over, although now people are accustomed. So, industry specialists predict a demand for designers of such systems at a fairly high level.



Professions that will appear after 2020

The operator of robotic systems. Specialist who manages the maintenance of robotic transport networks, the configuration of computer programs for robotic mechanisms and vehicles.
Robotic transport systems are, first of all, unmanned vehicles, which, according to Google, which is ahead of the rest of the world, will allow a 90% reduction in the number of accidents, fuel costs and the total number of vehicles. Today, only 10 cars participate in the project (6 Toyota Prius, 3 Lexus and one Audi TT), but BMW has already announced its plans, and other manufacturers will catch up. It is clear that unmanned vehicles will require appropriate infrastructure and relevant specialists.

The builder of smart roads. This is a specialist who chooses and installs adaptive road coverage, markings and road signs with radio frequency identification, surveillance systems and sensors to monitor the condition of the road “Smart” roads are a relatively fresh idea. It is caused by the need to provide real-time information about what is waiting for the car in front - a traffic jam, a problem with the coating due to ice or something else. Today, such information is somehow provided by map services, but this is still a reactive process — first, someone must be stuck in traffic so that the system understands that this information must get on the map. The “smart” road, with the help of its sensors, will transmit this information independently to the car, which will make it possible to more effectively behave on the road and choose the route. Given the projected increase in the number of unmanned vehicles - the perfect combination.



Architect of intelligent control systems. Develops software for unmanned vehicles and traffic management systems, controls intelligent control systems.
Of course, someone has to program and develop the architecture of the traffic management system, ranging from software development for unmanned vehicles to intelligent systems for managing urban and intercity transport.

Water transport

Professions that will appear until 2020
Port ecologist. Specialist engaged in monitoring and monitoring indicators of environmental safety of the port, vessels, environment (water area, air environment, adjacent territories, plant and animal populations in the water area and adjacent territories). Engaged in the development of programs to restore the ecology of the environment of the port and the water area.
Like any large industrial object, a port means environmental risks in the broadest sense: not only pollution of the water area, but also air pollution, various waste, climate change (due to excavation, for example), etc. All over the world, port operators order or conduct research themselves related to the environmental situation of the port and its surroundings, which we usually use as environmentalists and enthusiasts. So, the environmentalists' long-term complaints about the situation around the port of Ust-Luga are well known; following the results of many meetings in 2013, it was announced that the port operator is launching a comprehensive environmental monitoring system . It is clear that the presence of environmental specialists at the port establishment stage would help to solve such problems with less blood. Now a huge number of similar claims expressed in the construction of a Chinese port in the Crimea.

System engineer of marine infrastructure. A professional engaged in the development and implementation of technologies that increase the resilience of onshore facilities and vessels to various types of threats (natural, man-made).
Such specialists are already being prepared today (the specialty “System engineering of marine infrastructure facilities”), another thing is that a significant update of technologies (in particular, the growth of environmental requirements, intelligent water transport management systems, etc.) will change the requirements for such specialists.

Specialist in navigation in the Arctic. He understands the features of ice navigation in the conditions of the Extreme North, knows how to create optimal routes for swimming facilities and make quick decisions about their change in unusual situations.

Experts predict in the near future growth in freight volumes along the Northern Sea Route. After the collapse of the USSR, transportation decreased by 5-6 times , but in recent years, when this route was open to foreign companies, this figure is growing. Taking into account the fact that it almost halves the time for delivery of goods from Europe to Asia, there is every chance that specialists in navigation in the conditions of the North will be in demand.

Aviation

Professions that will appear until 2020
Engineer production of small aircraft. Engaged in the design and simulation of cheap aircraft of small civil aviation of varying complexity.

Small aircraft in our country is an extremely painful topic. On the one hand, everyone says that it is necessary, on the other hand, not much has been done until recently. In the past two years, some kind of movement began: the production of light aircraft Sigma began in Lipetsk, Shoigu ordered that the An-2 production be revived in the Moscow Region. So small engineers have a future.

Professions that will appear after 2020

Unmanned aircraft interface architect. Specialist in the development of interfaces and software technology package for managing unmanned aircraft, is responsible for programming and operating systems for providing, navigation and safety of unmanned aircraft.

The technology of unmanned aerial vehicles, initially developed for military purposes, is becoming more and more densely integrated into civil aviation. However, while mostly abroad. The list of applications is extremely wide - from use in filming and cartography to geological prospecting . Amazon announced plans to use drones to deliver lightweight goods, but was faced with resistance from the US Federal Aviation Agency. So far, these plans have been postponed for 2015. Nevertheless, even in Russia they recognize that drones are necessary, which means that sooner or later there will be a demand for UAV interface architects.



Process engineer recycling aircraft. Specialist engaged in the development of schemes for the recycling of materials, raw materials, equipment and frame elements of aircraft.
It is not strange, this profession already exists in some form in the world. So, there is the International Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association ( Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association ), which includes manufacturers (such as Boeing, Bombardier), engine manufacturers (Pratt & Wittney, Rolls-Royce), companies involved in cycling and many others. There are no Russian companies in the association now. The reason is probably in the absence of a systematic approach to recycling and the full life cycle of technology in our country. At the same time, according to AFRA, over 12 thousand aircraft will be written off in the next 15-20 years. The numbers, of course, are Western, but I am sure that our situation is no better.

Airship Design Engineer. Specialist who develops models of airships, taking into account the objectives of their use (cargo / passenger) and the conditions of aeronautics.
Aeronautical Infrastructure Designer. Specialist who designs airfields, hangars, service stations and elements of the navigation infrastructure for airships
Surprisingly, however, airships, which I personally perceive as something from the past century, do not leave the stage, on the contrary, there is a small but constant niche for them and plans for their development. In Russia, in particular, airships can be attractive, as they allow the delivery of goods and people to places that are difficult to access due to poor transport infrastructure. For example, the Russian Amur Minerals Corporation is considering the option of delivering heavy equipment by airships instead of building a road that costs more than $ 150 million.

Developer of intelligent control systems for dynamic dispatch. A professional who develops software solutions for traffic management in the airspace of cities and regions with heavy traffic (in a situation of rapid development of unmanned and small aircraft, when the load of airspace increases dramatically and a transition to flexible traffic management occurs).

It is clear that the increase in the number of objects in the air will require fundamentally different traffic management systems. For example, Ozon.ru sends over 2 million orders per year, that is, more than 200 orders per hour. If they start to use drones en masse, the air will be pretty tight.