Virtual Wall concept protects pedestrians, livens up crosswalks

Let's face it -- pedestrians are already running amok in major city crosswalks; it's not like we really need to help them hold up the line of traffic any longer while their light is red, is it? All pent up aggression aside, Hanyoung Lee's brilliant Virtual Wall concept could certainly assist the non-hardened tourists cross from one side to another without fear of being flattened. Essentially, the light-formed barrier would keep cars and Earthlings separated while individuals are cleared to walk, and while we aren't sure if bumping into said obstacle would cause tire deflation, engine stall or any other totally tough consequences, we can't imagine it being too effective (or fun, in a devilish way) otherwise.

[john @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:18AM]

yeahhhh!!!

[nikola @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:02PM]

The movie Carnosaur called. It wants its carnosaur-keeper-inner back.

[itsnotabigtruck @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:22PM]

If anyone doesn't know if this is real, check out the site's slogan: "FORM BEYOND FUNCTION". 'Nuff said.

[Elaine @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:23AM]

What about jaywalkers?

[JAmerican @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:41AM]

I think the whole point is to use the walkways and NOT to jaywalk. If you use the walkways, your protected. If you don't, then your screwed.

This would be great in Liberty..., I mean, New York City.

[OneLove @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:23AM]

how are you protected by light?

[Flashpoint @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:49AM]

everytime you drive through it it should make a sound like a pinball machine.


light cannot protect anyone...unless its high intensity laser light that shreds cars passing through it.

[Rynth @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:16AM]

Have a raise-able steel barrier (just a foot or so high) to pop up as well = problem solved.

That'd stop the fuckers running red lights.

[fischju @ Apr 22nd 2008 2:15PM]

Hook it up to a traffic camera that takes pictures of cars when they break the light?

[Chebwa @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:24AM]

I want to drive through it again and again.

[Tony @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:30PM]

As a part-time pedestrian, I think I would get distracted by it mid-crossing.

[MEAT! @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:25AM]

It certainly looks cool, but it seems like it would prevent the stopped driver from seeing into the intersection, which is something you wouldn't want to do: you may want to take a right on a red, and you may want to go through the red light for a valid reason (such as brake failure or otherwise being unable to stop). If all you can see as you hurtle towards it is a fuzzy, translucent red wall, I'd argue that you can't aim your car as well and thus increase the risk of hitting other traffic. Similarly, as traffic going through in the other direction, you'd want to see if anyone is planning on running the red. (Seeing a car approach the intersection and look like it's not going to stop has actually prevented me from getting hit by a drunk or distracted driver before.)

[MEAT! @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:26AM]

Another valid reason to want to see the traffic through the red light: emergency vehicles approaching the intersection with lights flashing.

[Ysleiro @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:39AM]

Well put.

Another point is, emergency vehicles and such. Emergency vehicles can run a street light. This red wall might limit one's ability to react in time to slow down.

Anyone else think of something else

[welchb @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:45AM]

I'm not very sure if you can use "brake failure" as a valid reason to not implement a pedestrian safety device like this.. I mean, does that even happen outside of action movies? heh.

I'll give you emergency vehicles, though. However I'd imagine that these vehicles (which have entirely valid reasons to be running a red light) would be able to disable that wall when their sirens/marquees are on.

[Stupidiot @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:47AM]

The wall's a nice concept but, as you pointed out, there certainly are flaws to the design. I think that instead of a wall, it should be a red banner-shaped projection across the road. This has the benefit of being more visible than traffic lights, but doesn't block driver's view of the crossing, or pedestrian's view of oncoming vehicles.

[MEAT! @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:00AM]

Stupididiot, the banner sounds like a much better idea--especially if it only comes up to under the height of a child, or if it is raised from the ground.

Welchb, as for emergency vehicles disabling the banner/wall when they approach, would that not signal to the waiting drivers that they can suddenly go? If they've been trained to always stop for the red banner and suddenly it disappears (as it does when they are allowed to enter the crosswalk area and to turn right on red), would that not be very similar to the traffic light turning green when a firetruck approaches? Maybe not exactly the same (the light itself would still be red), but it seems like the last thing an approaching emergency vehicle wants is to have the traffic in front of it feel like it can suddenly start moving.

[Munkcy @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:26AM]

They probably could build it so that the virtual wall device could wirelessly "communicate" with emergency vehicles. So, if an emergency vehicle is approaching an intersection in "emergency" mode, the wall device could sense this and instead of just disabling the wall, maybe they make it flash red and blue. They could also have the "walls" for all directions of the intersection turn on like that when an emergency vehicle approaches as an attempt to stop all traffic.

[MEAT! @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:38AM]

Ah, damn, that'd be even cooler!

Now my question is: how will the wall of light be seen? It'll obviously have to be some kind of reflected light from something in the air...such as moisture. Green laser pointers are already visible as paths of light, even during the day, but they can damage your eye. How would you prevent someone from crossing the barrier of light and looking into the sources? Or a car passenger? Perhaps I'm missing something that was already explained by the post.

[ericisshort @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:24PM]

That was my first thought too. Kudos to MEAT! for bringing it back to the actual science of the issue. This is a tech blog, not a city-planning blog. And I can clearly see the Audi on the other side of that Photo, so I think ambulances and people whose break lines shave been cut (!?!) will be able to see into the intersection too.

[Ysleiro @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:29AM]

I don't see how this is greatly beneficial unless it can somehow stop the car.

We already have a method for letting people know when they should or should not cross.

[John P @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:26AM]

I call it a targeting computer.

[james @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:27AM]

Yeah, this would be great, if the technology behind this laser "screen" is at all plausible.

[Anthony @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:27AM]

Problem: Some motorists don't stop when humans are in front of them.

Solution: Some motorists that don't stop when humans are in front of them will stop when a harmless beam of light is.

Umm...k?

[dajimmers @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:27AM]

1. At least half the drivers would be MORE inclined to drive through it. It's like GTA in real life...
2. Most of the pedestrians would also dally to jump back and forth through it. You'd have a bunch of blinded, flattened children in no time.
3. Expensive. Cities have lots of cross-walks.
4. How do you turn right on red?
5. Ruins the view of the city and blocks other's advertisements.

Interesting tech, stupid concept.

[Raheem @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:30AM]

1. True
2. True
3. True
4. You don't; you drive like us in England (i.e. you STOP on red!)
5. True

NB: We don't have 'jaywalking' here, Elaine, so feel free to come on over and cross wherever you like. See we've adopted Darwinism :P

[Sma @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:36AM]

I would think the best way to use this would be to use it only when people are crossing, and not every time the light is red. If the button is pressed to turn the light red, then this thing would come on, other wise, it shouldn't be on every time the light is red, then you could still see to turn right, unless someone is crossing, in which case you should wait to turn any way.

[OneLove @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:26AM]

Yeah, England! Can I have some of your money?

[barry99705 @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:48AM]

This is what happens when someone with BFA decides to design something. It looks cool, but breaks several laws of physics. As for the emergency vehicle thing, they can make the lights green for them now, I'm sure the cross walks change for them too.

[atomische @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:53AM]

The illusion of safety is more dangerous than a crosswalk where each party has to look out for the other.

[m-p{3} @ Apr 22nd 2008 9:56AM]

I would definitely not like my ambulance blocked by one of those virtual wall..

[Aikon- @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:08AM]

I would be concerned that once drivers come to grips with the new device, they will think to themselves "oh, those aren't actually people" and then continue to drive through anyway, whilst the virtual wall partially blocks their view of the actual pedestrians crossing behind it.

[David @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:22AM]

Too bad you can't actually see laser beams in the air without a scattering agent. In broad daylight and with wind (which would scatter such an agent) it'd be quite hard to ensure any reliable visibilit and this wall would end up nothing more than two posts at either end of the crosswalk. Not to mention the virtual certainly of pedestrians crossing into the wall and getting a laser beam in their eye (which would have to be quite powerful in the futile attempt to maintain visibility).

[Jordan @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:23AM]

And maybe next they can make them blue, and impenetrable, and change their company name to "The Combine". This seems a bit reminiscent of a video game.

[itsnotabigtruck @ Apr 22nd 2008 8:20PM]

EPIC WIN

[aardvark sandwich @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:32AM]

...now I'm in Australia!...America!...Australia!...America!....

[Joey @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:26PM]

Here in America we don't tolerate that kind of BS...... Sir!

[Bob @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:36AM]

Okay, maybe I'm just an idiot, but it seems to me everyone here thinks this is a non-see through wall... It looks like to me you CAN see through the wall, therefore, pedestrians and cars alike can still see each other and not collide... Anyone else get that from the picture?

[steven1350 @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:37AM]

OMG, this is the first step to half life 2 becoming reality....

[looseinthedeuce @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:47AM]

Last I checked you need some sort of fog or dust particles in order to reflect the light so a driver could actually SEE the light beams.

That said, you could just have the lasers point directly into the drivers' eyes so they can't see. Certainly they'll stop then.

[dajimmers @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:23AM]

Yeah but cities are full of smog. Put that pollution to work!

[Bad Beaver @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:48AM]

Unless this works like the forcewall in WipEout it is just pointless.

[ken @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:02AM]

This reminds me of that scene in Eureka the show on SCI-FI channel. When Jack walks in the office and sees that car coming at him and it hits that invisible wall.
Ken

[Joe Maki @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:54AM]

Pedestrian safety is a side effect. I suspect the real reason is they will be able to display commercials on the "wall of light" while you are waiting at a red light. More revenue for cash strapped cities.

[omelfata @ Apr 22nd 2008 11:57AM]

I saw this at CeBit 08 in that hall where they had all these creative ideas on display (on like cardboard sheets)... I think its a really good idea...

[sschueller @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:01PM]

Why is this on engadget? This is an obvious use if the technology was available but it is not. Why not post the Star Trek holodeck design while your at it.

[sockatume @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:03PM]

It's pretty obvious how this technology works. It sets off a smoke machine, then shoots lasers through the fog to display the barrier. Then Bon Jovi rise on a hydraulic platform through the road and beat out the guitar solo to Living on a Prayer until the lights change, at which point a really sweet pyro show goes off.

[CorgilabsG @ Apr 22nd 2008 12:33PM]

yes, but can this protect cars from Darth Maul?

[Funke, Tobias Dr. @ Apr 22nd 2008 1:12PM]

Haha, I'm glad somebody pointed that out.

[clint @ Apr 22nd 2008 10:28PM]

I live in Brooklyn and last year they were doing construction on my street. There was a big hole in the center of the intersection so someone put a big orange cone on top of a trash can over the hole. That would last about an hour before someone hit it and sent it flying down the street. Another person would come along and put it back up and it would get hit again. This would happen about 5 times a night. A wall of light? Don't think it will stop anyone unless it cuts your car in half.