The Congo’s Solar-Powered Robot As Traffic-Controller

(Before It's News)

No, this is not RoboCop’s cousin — well, it might be a distant relative. Reaching 8 feet tall, this solar-powered, traffic-directing robot gets the attention of anyone around. Conceivably, gripping images of transformer redesigns might come to mind, preventing drivers from loss of focus and deterring them from pushing proper limits of the traffic stream.

Kinshasa, the capital city of Congo, has replaced two live police officers with developer engineer Isaie Therese’s two giant solar robots in order to direct traffic and pedestrians.

Traffic Robot’s face may be handsome, and he is wearing some cool shades, but pay attention: he also has multiple video cams. Proof is on hand if drivers run a red light. So, beware of sliding a bit too long or fast through the light — the solar robot will have a ticket and fine sent before you know it.

Wondering how Solar Robo is received? The Washington Post reports that commuter Demouto Mutombo told CCTV Africa through an interpreter: “As a motorcyclist I’m very happy with the robot’s work. Because when the traffic police control the cars here there’s still a lot of traffic. But since the robot arrived, we see truly that the commuters are respectful.”

And if you want your Robot Transformer styled in action and French:

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// Have no doubt, drivers, the city is trying to raise money for all those nice new roads. Grist points out that beyond the fun of replacing them with solar-powered robots: “Traffic lights are easy to ignore.”

“It’s not like they’re gonna hassle you for sliding through on a yellow.” This solar-powered robot, however, will gather the evidence and you will be fined for all your traffic errors.

Read more about technological advances with robots on CleanTechnica and sister site Planetsave:

1. Self-Destructing Microbial Robots Turn Wastewater Into Gold Mine
2. NASA GROVER Solar-Powered Robot Performs In Harsh Greenland Climate
3. Robotics To Help Maintain Offshore And Onshore Wind Turbines
4. Solar Robot Heads To Jail
5. Green Brain Makes a Mashup of Computer Games, Flying Robots and Beekeepers from Toulouse
6. Will Robot Trackers Reduce the Costs of Solar?
7. Brave Little Solar-Powered Robot Tracks Hurricane Isaac
8. DARPA Funds a Robot that Moves Like a Worm, But Why?
9. New Robot Mimics a Fish Behaving Like a Boy Scout
10. DARPA Seeks Disaster Response Robots…With Bette Davis Eyes?
11. Energy-Efficient, Hydrogen-Fueled Robot Can Swim Like a Jellyfish
12. Hagent, the Heat-Storing Robot
13. Energy-Efficient Ant-Snake Robots to the Rescue!
14. ZenRobotics Recycler Released
15. Folding Plants Inspire Next Generation of Shape Shifting Robots
16. Robots Can Learn Language From People
17. Robot That Can Camouflage Itself Developed (VIDEO)
18. Robots Achieve Self-Awareness, May Also Develop ‘Mental Problems’

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The Congo’s Solar-Powered Robot As Traffic-Controller was originally published on: CleanTechnica.

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