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Australian Fence of Sound Halves Roadkill On One Deadly Stretch of Road (digitaltrends.com)
Researchers in the Australian state of Tasmania are using a "virtual fence" system, consisting of alarm units mounted on posts along the side of a three-mile stretch of road, to reduce the number animals that get struck and killed by cars on a particularly deadly stretch of road. "These alarm units, around 80 feet apart, emit sounds and flashing lights to warn animals when a car is approaching," reports Digital Trends. "These do not distract drivers because the sound and light are directed to the edge of the road. They are also only loud and bright enough to be noticeable to wildlife in the immediate vicinity." From the report: "The virtual fence technology involves small devices, approximately the size of a mobile phone, mounted on a pole on the side of the road which are triggered by car headlights when they hit a sensor in the device," Samantha Fox, the researcher who led the project, told Digital Trends. "This sets off blue and yellow flashing lights and a high pitched siren. These together warn local wildlife that a car is coming, and give the animal time to move away from the road." Over the course of a three-year trial, the technology has reduced roadkill on one particular road by a massive 50 percent. On this stretch of road alone, this has meant saving the lives of around 200 animals, ranging from wombats to possums.
Same reason I throw Republican children into woodchippers all day every day, it's my right as a Libertarian.
My initial thought was they were trying to protect cars from potentially dangerous collisions with animals. That could be very useful in the United States if this system is also effective at keeping deer away from roads when cars are approaching.
But finally, Samantha Fox and headlights in a news article, meant something entirely different.
In more serious matters, I've driven in Tasmania and I can confirm without question, I've never seen so much roadkill in my life. So much so it was disturbing and creepy for my girlfriend and I. At least 20 dead things a day there, maybe twice that and we weren't driving very fast either.
Foxy Lady!
Why does slashdot link to a paywall, and "digitasltrends" crap?
Here is a proper link. This program is not for the wombats and possums, but for the endangered Tasmanian devils that feed on their carcasses.
https://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/wild...
do the same thing to save money: they emit the sound of fresh fruit and vegetables to keep creimer away!
Dinner's gonna be a bit late
One of the few things they did right down under was convert to metric, years ago. While them bwitish were complaining it was "too hard", the aussies just did it. So, metric already, you nitwit.
Does it rattle bear cans to keep the aborigines off the roads?
They tried rattling beer cans, but it just attracted more. Bear cans might just be the way to go, baby koalas might just be able to fit into them big Milo cans. You try first.
Australian Fence of Sound Halves Roadkill
And I started out thinking it was a safety measure to prevent cars from hitting animals by cutting the animals in half before the cars come near. I was expecting lasers or Army NewGen sonic weapons or something. Instead: "small devices ... mounted on a pole on the side of the road."
Well, I guess with an amp cranked up to 11 they might could still manage it.
If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
A hottie. Used to be. Her father turned her lesbo. True. I am her father.
Phil Spector's Wall of Sound
Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound
There's probably a joke about Trump and a border wall in here somewhere too, but I'll leave that alone.
Think of it as evolution in action.
I wish we had something like that here.
Lots of little critters get obliterated where I live which is bad enough, but out in the country where the rest of my family resides, deer are the biggest threat. Due to the proximity of the forest on either side of the road, you may have two seconds to take action before impact if they decide to bolt from tree cover.
Since it IS Texas, I've come to realize one reason why so many drive the oversized pickups. You hit an adult deer in one of those and it will mess up the bumper and grill a bit unless you have an aftermarket super bumper on there.
You hit a deer in anything lower to the ground ( any car ) and that deer is going to flip over the hood, go right through the windshield and become a passenger. All at 70mph.
A full sized white-tail is not a small animal and your survival will be based on luck at this point.
God help you if it's a cow or a horse that managed to get out and is standing at the top of a hill that you can't see. ( Aunt managed that one. Nearly killed her. )
This might work with Australia's smarter wildlife. But a similar technology used in the USA, involving illuminated signs at intersections with a big red hand have no effect the hobos.
Have gnu, will travel.
Would he be typing here if he did?
Has it ever occurred to you that roadkill is as evolutionarily valid a method of predation as snakes eating frogs ? You think cars are something special ... as opposed to fangs or snouts ?? Kinda like running-down and smashing Antifa at a demonstration .. just a fair share of abuse.