Robotic bollards to take control of roads

[T_i_B]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3666989.stm

Robotic bollards that can quickly move across a carriageway to close off lanes have been developed by US engineers.

Each 130cm-high robot takes the form of a bright red barrel which sits atop a three-wheeled motorised base. A group of the bollards can be directed into position with a laptop and a main control unit equipped with a satellite navigation system for accuracy.

The bollards, which are connected via a radio link, move at just over a metre a second. The shepherd constantly monitors them for positional errors and can, if necessary, remove an errant robot from the line-up.

"It's a pretty simple idea," Assistant Professor Farritor, from the university's Walter Scott Engineering Center, told BBC News. "They can self-deploy and self-retrieve, and remove workers from the dangerous job of putting out these safety devices.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. "Never mind the Bollards ... "

--bkl