| Following the tragic accident in Santa Monica, CA | | | | branch holding the light would rest on the road at the |
| during a blocked off street fair in the downtown area | | | | fold point and the light would then be on the end near |
| this issue resurfaced. A concept had been discussed | | | | the corner of the upright and now-cross member. In |
| where street poles would shape shift and change like | | | | the event the light pole is near a manhole cover or |
| many of those miniature plastic robot toys. Much has | | | | near an area in which a utility company might park a |
| thought has gone into these toys and the video games | | | | man-lift truck the light pole would come down and |
| and cartoons they were modeled after. Such | | | | form a barrier box around that area. Many utility |
| brainpower should not be wasted and today we see | | | | workers are killed each year when their boom trucks |
| many research institutes are working on shape shifting | | | | are hit and tipped or while working in manholes on |
| technologies as new materials emerge. They are | | | | ground infrastructure. All this can be eliminated |
| applying these studies in the fields of Manufactured | | | | completely.It is our contention that during road |
| Memory of Materials, Shape Memory Alloy (SMA), | | | | construction, repairs, accident first response, |
| Shape Shifting Technologies, Non-Holonomic | | | | emergencies, civic events; we can provide additional |
| manipulation, Self Reconfiguration Robotics, Tactile | | | | safety and security with little additional expense. Cities |
| Sensors and Haptics to solve many of problems which | | | | have streetlights and since the cost to put in street |
| plague mankind and providing safety and security | | | | lights is already a given, these cities can upgrade to |
| solutions to our populations. We can prevent future | | | | shape shifting designs to solve other issues. In addition |
| problems like the runaway car and street deaths in | | | | our studies show that the additional costs associated |
| Santa Monica. Nine people were killed and 50 were | | | | with boom trucks to change out light bulbs and minor |
| injured. activate and barricade streets of travel of | | | | street light repairs can also be reduced and thus the |
| International Terrorists or high-speed chases. These | | | | initial capital outlay for the slightly higher costs will make |
| features can protect patrons of large civic events and | | | | up for themselves over the first four to five years of |
| parades. These barriers can be used in sobriety | | | | their useful life.We have drawings, concepts and |
| check-points and a multitude of other important | | | | designs and are willing to share these with those |
| endeavors from Utility repair crew safety to | | | | entrusted to city governments, national security, |
| Earthquake debris avoidance.Streetlights would drop | | | | highway safety, foreign construction re-building, |
| down like a railroad crossing across a portion of the | | | | economic development, modernizing architecture, utility |
| road. The outward branch containing the light would | | | | infrastructure, corporate asset and facility security or |
| fold in half and the light lens would switch from bright | | | | US Embassy Upgrades and Fortification.Lance |
| white to yellow and flash as a warning. The folded | | | | Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. |