Inspiration
A tank can be twelve minutes from shutdown while its gauge and flow readings still fit two different faults. I wanted to know which field check would change the response and whether there would still be time to act. My Absurdity Gap work gave me a way to measure a related problem: a test can give a clear answer and still push the system past its operating limit.
What it does
Absurdity Gate replays an incident, ranks field checks, and compares responses by cost, timing, and whether they stay within operating limits. It also records the chosen response in a simulated shift handoff.
How we built it
The simulator advances the incident minute by minute. Bayes’ rule updates the fault probabilities after each reading, and Shannon entropy ranks checks by how much uncertainty they are expected to remove.
For a modeled peak P, operating limit L, and starting value r₀, the Absurdity Gap scores the excess relative to the available headroom:
$$ G=1-\exp\left(-\frac{\max(0,P-L)}{L-r_0}\right). $$
The app blocks the simulated pulse if the modeled peak exceeds the limit.
Challenges we ran into
Every field check takes time. We had to account for that delay before comparing which responses could still work. We also made gauge switching replay the same pulse so the effect of measurement precision was visible.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
One drive contact check changes the recommended response. A latched contact calls for throttling North Pad and sending a truck. A clear contact points to opening the auxiliary tank. That option costs $662 in the simulation and peaks at 864 barrels, 11 below shutdown.
What we learned
The fine gauge distinguishes three models in three seconds. With the same pulse on the panel gauge, two readings still match at the deadline. A stronger pulse can reveal more, but only if it stays within the operating limit.
What's next for Absurdity Gate
Test the forecasts against labeled incident logs and add realistic measurement noise to see which field checks still hold up.
Built With
- absurditygate
- beattheshutdown
- faultdiagnosis
- hackathon
- hackutd2026
- industrialsimulation
- javascript
- node.js
