Although Adam and I are still exchanging ideas for project 2, I wanted to toss out an idea I've been thinking of and see what comments anyone might have.
The scenario would be some sort of localized urban disruption of traffic such as a fire, explosion, downed power line, etc. In this situation, traffic might be unaware of which routes out of the area might be optimal or even passable. One would not want to unwittingly turn down a road that led toward a blockage.
I propose an array of communicating sensors at street intersections in a city. If some significant number adjacent sensors were to become disabled (as by an explosion), then the system could go into emergency mode and automatically direct traffic away from the area. The system could consist of, for example, motorized laser pointers affixed to light poles. Each pointer would project a moving dot onto the street in front of vehicles so as to direct them in a safe direction to travel at each intersection.
This sort of technology might be readily extended to hallways in a skyscraper,
stadium or other structure where many exit paths might be available.
I would appreciate any thoughts. Of course, this is half-baked and Adam and
I have a lot of talking yet to do.
Paul.
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Would the laser pointers be moving in the direction the traffic is supposed to flow? Don't structures already have "EXIT" signs around to guide people anyway? I raise these points just because I might not have understood the concept fully.
ReplyDeleteThanks Apoorva.
ReplyDeleteYes, a structure would have EXIT signs.
My idea would apply to situations where exit signs might not be reliable as when the stairwell is in flames four stories below. It might be better to pick a different stairwell.
I also thought this would be useful in a cityscape where the driver doesn't know which roads are passable.
Could you use the traffic lights pulsating as your signaling device? After the sensors encounter an anomaly and the program runs, could the system take local control of traffic signals so that the lights in the direction to proceed for several blocks pulsate in a one-after-the-other wave that seems to draw traffic/people in a direction while the traffic lights in the directions that are hazardous blink red or yellow or are solid?
ReplyDeleteThanks Joe.
ReplyDeleteGood point. The more I think about this, the more it seems that moving lights for traffic would be overkill. In a building situation, it may still be useful... but stationary lights would probably still be effective.