Are there simple solutions ?
A major problem faced by trucks regularly is crashing under a bridge. Something similar to the image below.
Most of the times the reason is simply because it is hard to know the exact height of a bridge and that of truck with the current load. The drivers vision is at a pretty low level compared to the bottom of bridge, and they are much bigger and heavier compared to the average car.
What adds to the problem, Specially is if we talk about the open trucks where the load can keep going up.
Something similar to those seen in India.
This problem was stuck in my head for close to a week, so I decided to ask some of the sophomore students from my club about the possible solutions. Here is a comprehensive list of the answers they proposed.
1. “What if we, create an IoT device, install it in front of the bridge, and whenever a truck comes, its sensors will use their video processing algorithms to estimate the exact height of the truck and if it is unsafe to move forward, it will raise a red signal or light.”
Sure, we just need a sensor, IoT device, video processing algorithms that too so accurate they can estimate it perfectly while moving. Oh, and then we need a light signal too.
Could we do it more simpler ?
2. “What if we make an app, in which we initially add the height of the truck and then, we create a database, with data about the height of each and every bridge and then, using GPS, we can easily know if it is possible to cross that or not, and we can even suggest an alternate route and all that, it could even be integrated inside an app like google maps.”
Okay, so now we need the data about every possible bridge on a database, we need to always measure the height of our truck using some possible trigonometric technique, and also make an app to connect all these things.
But can we do it simpler ?
The boys, were already getting frustrated, with their genius solutions being moved ahead from, but —
3. “What if whenever we are adding our load, measure the height of the truck and at every bridge, we just simply have a digital board with the height of the bridge, the driver could compare these values while driving and know if it will work or not ?”
Sure, now we just need to know the height of a truck and have a digital board, and the driver needs to compare these values at every point. We can even replace the board with paint, but
Can we still do it simpler ?
Receiving no further answer from them, I presented them with this.
See the genius of this solution, No need of any Apps, no IoT or DB used, no need to measure the height of your truck every time, no “Gadgets” used. Still you get a much better solution.
Was there anything wrong with the students answers
NO !
They all tried to use the best technology to find the solution, but probably that is the issue. we are living in a world where, APPS solve the problem.
Every time you ask an aspiring entrepreneur, specially in India about their business model they will say — “We will make a website, an app, use machine learning”.
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As a software developer, I have no problem with technology, I adore all the words I bashed above, I basically spend my days working on them. But over time we have reduced the horizon on which we seek solutions.
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Coming back to the original discussion.
Many times, the answer to our problems are simple, It is we who wish to complicate them.
So, next time when your boss asks you to bring a solution, ask yourself the question,
“Can I do it simpler ?”
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Have a great year.
