Designed by Matheus de Luca, Moreira Pinto, and Porto Alegre, Sólo basically a traffic light and emergency light system in one. It’s a modular device that can be disassembled easily and converted from a traffic light to a portable warning system.

One sample use is when there’s an accident and traffic would need to be redirected to another route. Or there could be road repairs being done, and the lights could be taken down and used to signal where the incoming traffic should pass.

It’s a neat idea that lets technicians and designated personnel spring into action quickly without needing additional tools or supplies when they’re already on location, though it might make traffic signals more susceptible to vandalism or theft.

[via Yanko Design]

Escort has been making radar detectors for a long time now and the company has unveiled a new device that it claims to be the world’s first fully integrated driving accessory with both radar/laser detection and navigation – the Passport iQ. The GPS device offers what you expect with a moving map, POIs, and turn-by-turn directions.

The radar detection portion functions even in map mode and will detect and learn any type of radar, and also offers multiple laser sensors. It also has a database with locations of speed cameras, red light cameras, and speed traps loaded up. The iQ is available right now to purchase for $649.95(USD), and it works with Escort’s line of radar detector accessories.

It’s already lasted 9 days. Holy crap! How long do you think it will last? The traffic jam is 62 miles long, and with over 17,000 trucks using the road each day “…no one expects things to improve until the project wraps up on Sept. 13.” I honestly don’t know what to say. It just makes me glad that I no longer drive a car.

[via Wired]

The blue lines indicate hours, orange is five-minute blocks, and green traffic is single minutes. It’s interesting, but kind of nutty at the same time. I prefer to glance at a watch and know exactly what time it is.

The battery in the Kisai Traffic is recharged via a USB port. One charge takes up 3.5 hours and each charge will last a month. After about 300 charges, you’ll have to replace the battery. I like the USB charging idea a lot, as I’m always annoyed when it comes time to change the battery on my watches. In fact, I currently don’t wear a watch because of this whole issue. That and the fact that my Seiko Final Fantasy watch is in storage in Canada.

[via Tokyoflash]

Designed by artist Markus Lerner for lighting company OSRAM, the installation samples traffic patterns and maps them onto seven colorful light towers side of the road, each containing over 110,000 individual LEDs.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

The waves at the bottom of each panel represent the amount of traffic that has recently passed, while a “spark” that flashes across each screen whenever a new car passes by. The more cars that pass the sensors, the bigger the waves, and the faster the motion.

The installation is currently on display alongside Munich, Germany’s highly-congested Mittlerer Ring, a thoroughfare that conveniently happens to be right in front of OSRAM’s headquarters.

[via today in art]

The PogoAlert features a compact 1.8-inch LCD screen that mounts on your car’s dashboard or windshield, and lets you know when you’re approaching a speed trap or traffic camera. It also comes with live radar and laser detection to alert you to new spots that aren’t yet in the GPS database. Since it’s loaded with GPS data, it can also alert you to the current speed limit, and only alarm if you’ve exceeded that. Remember that radar and laser detectors aren’t legal in all localities, so check your local laws before thinking about one of these.

The PogoAlert currently offers map data for the UK and Europe only and runs

The new model is their first to feature a RDS-TMC traffic receiver which provides real-time traffic data and can automatically plot an alternative course around heavy traffic areas. The traffic data costs $4.95 per month after an initial 90-day free trial.

The device’s 2GB of flash memory comes comes preloaded with maps for the U.S. (including Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico) as well as Canada. Directions are displayed on a 3.5″ color touch-screen display with a voice-guided option for safety. It’s also more compact than Sony’s previous model, and features a new gesture-based input system that makes it easier to get to frequently used commands.

The NV-U71T lists for $499.95 USD and should ship by the end of 2006.