Robotic traffic cones swarm onto highways

NewScientist.com ^ | April 28, 2004 | Max Glaskin

[Akira]

It'll be interesting to see where this leads...

[King Prout]

people will steal these things.
watch and see.

[Bikers4Bush]

"At that price I believe the savings will mean it will still be affordable if one dies in the line of duty," he says.

One my arse, try losing 8-10 every weekend.

[Little Pig]

Maybe these will be able to dodge...of course that just makes the challenge more interesting for some.

[Grit]

It'll be interesting to see where this leads...

This will no doubt lead to robotic spiders attacking Gene Simmons.

[Akira]

That was the first thought that ran through my mind as I finished the article.

[Bikers4Bush]

Lol, very true!

[Akira]

Very strange. I thought of that movie (and Gene Simmons being behind this) too.

[Buell_X1-1200]

Read this on Drudge this morning. I'll tell you where it will lead, into the homes of teenagers.

"Hey man, checkit out ... I swiped a robo-cone".

It's no different than having a $5 Stop Sign hanging on the wall in your apartment. Only difference is the robots are $200 each! I can see it now, group of kids running over the whole group. Thousands of dollars in loss.

Just wait until a group of cones route traffic into accidents. I can see it now "It's the cone's fault".

[RightWhale]

So now if you nail a traffic cone with your F-350 you might be killing a sentient being?

[SpyGuy]

Good idea; poor implementation.

Instead of building robotic traffic cones, they should be building a robot that places static cones.

These robotic cones will be hit by vehicles at a similar rate as static cones (costly even if they get the price well below $200 each), and will be subject to a MUCH higher rate of theft (think of all those kids out there that will want their own personal traffic cone robot, not to mention the value of the stolen batteries, motors, etc.)

[King Prout]

guess I'm of a more larcenous nature than you: that was my first thought upon finishing reading the first paragraph :)

[Akira]

Each robot should carry a 200 volt charge, larceny issue solved. Or poisonous spikes? So many options... ;-)

[Only1choice____Freedom]

"Hey man, checkit out ... I swiped a robo-cone".

"You idiot, they're lojacked!!! Get rid of it NOW!!!"

[theFIRMbss]

>It'll be interesting to see where this leads...

It will lead to gangs of Keep Left signs attacking helpless British priests . . .

[Agnes Heep]

Now all they need is a deeply-suntanned blonde robot with big bazookas to hold the SLOW sign.

[Nick Danger]

So now if you nail a traffic cone with your F-350 you might be killing a sentient being?

Not only that, but if you whack the "shepherd", all the other ones jump into the trees with it.

[King Prout]

yes, exactly - i was thinking that the robot-wars geeks would snap these puppies up for "hangar-queens"

[King Prout]

red alert: funny thread in progress.

[mhking]

They move of their own volition, onto roads everywhere. And if you get close enough to hear them, you can hear their shrill voices screaming, "Exterminate! Exterminate!"