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Seems like it might work in theory, would like to see it work on a car in motion however because the amount of force might be too much for either orientation. Also, this would greatly increase the cost of speed bumps in the US as they currently made very cheaply by using asphalt without fancy heavy duty polycarbonates or LEDs.

I think it increases the cost too much…
It is better to stop driving cars with plows.

How exactly does the product work?

Why not have it generate energy from the motion as well, powering a speed bump sign or something.

I think this is a pretty good idea and most especially with Heylin’s comment on it being a way to generate power.
Considering the little amount of energy used for the amount of light put out by LEDs, I see more than just potential for lighting a small “Speed Bump” sign- in a crowded mall parking lot, these could generate energy enough to light warning curbs/fire lane curbs, and crosswalks as well.

Great idea.

Good idea. Speed bumps rated at 25mph generally cost around $1,200 each. This might raise the cost a little bit, but a significantly increased safety factor.

Would be nice if there was a way to enable it to go lat for approaching emergency vehicles. Many cities do not allow speed bumps because they hinder emergency vehicle progress.

If they were self charging from the drop motion, they could recognize emergency vehicles or emergency vehicle signals and drop on their approach in order to be safe.

I’m not an expert in physics, but it seems that you could achieve the same effect by simply using a pneumatic spring… A car travelling at a higher velocity would hit the spring quickly and forcefully not giving the pneumatic spring time to collapse causing the spring to remain rigid, whereas a slower traveling vehicle would give the spring time to collapse allowing for softer passage.

There would be no need for LED sensors and the cost would be less. Though I believe to be effective the duration of time on the speed bump would have to be increased, but it should prove just as effective.

Though I really like the idea of noting emergency vehicles and flattening completely.

think of the engineering issues ! how many times would you expect this device to operate between needing servicing? moving parts + fine tolerances + road grime = mechanism failure. The snow you mmentioned would be melting , finding its way into the mechinism of the the unit -bringing with it any other contaminants – refreezing and causing all sorts of havoc witht the moving parts. The overall intent is a noble one, but the solution is not this

They’re called dynamic speed bumps, and they’ve already been around for a long time.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1178

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article588894.ece

Actually there is a number of ‘emergency friendly speed humps’ that were installed in my neighborhood. Turns out the people on the association board responsible for them didn’t realize what that meant.

The gist is they are ‘tuned’ to the speed of the street and if you are going 30% faster than the speed limit for that street, its like its not there. That means in a 35mph zone, if you are going 45 your car will rise up and back down in a smooth transition — no damage, no jarring motion.

They need to implement these. I’m tired of driving my car over bumps of death at a 45˚ angle or scraping up the exhaust every time i go over one. I don’t mind going slower over no bumps since I already slow to a crawl to get over the regular bumps. And what’s up wth the ones that have a walkway on them? That just seems like speed bump abuse to me.

Thank goodness this is coming out… my lamborghini gallardo doesn’t mix well with speed bumps
**wishful thinking

I wonder why there are so many speed bumpers in the USA.
I don’t even noticed that people could have a problem with such
bumpers.
But if it so, go on and solve the problem! …

there should be a sensor to track the speed and if the person is going to fast then the speed bump should go up otherwise it should be flat. that way the cops can shut them off remotely if they are in a high speed chase.

A cool speed bump was invented by Professor George Swenson at the University of Illinois a long time ago. It dipped down and then up and was designed to resonate your car’s suspension at it’s natural frequency. Basically you wouldn’t feel much of anything if you went slow enough but if went too fast you might end up scraping your back bumper on the ground, at least for those older boat cars they used to make. Can’t find anything on the web but it was mentioned back in 2000 or so in the Eta Kappa Nu Bridge magazine.

I read about a similar idea from a spanish inventor about a year and a half ago, but using liquid filled bumps. The effect is the same, if you’re below some speed the fluid get out of the way but if you’re fast it doesn’t get time and acts as a normal bump.

This is a brilliant idea. Except that I highly doubt these would ever stand up to hundreds of cars per day, let alone snow plows, I don’t care what they say. Concrete FTW!

I work for an asphalt company. This is not likely to be implemented any time soon. Durability is a huge factor. We don’t want customers calling every 6 months because the thing broke. Maybe in low traffic situation it would be ok, but on a fairly well traveled road (there are a lot with speedbumps) is this thing really going to hold up?

Our company distributes rubber speed bumps (we do not install them) and I have to agree with SatyarupaCain. Durability and cost are the key issues when it comes to installing speed bumps.

And also, as he implied, contractors who install them are obligated to their customer’s to install a good, durable, long-lasting, speed bump which requires little or no maintenance.

Would this “smart” speed bump comply?

Not for Russai )))

This concept is far too complicated

Just fill a strong, rubberised sack with custard made from corn starch. It is a non-Newtonian fluid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-Newtonian_fluid) which means it hold firm when stressed but otherwise flows.

A car wheel will cause less shock going at 10 miles an hour compared to 30 and so the fluid will give way and be far less bumpy. At the higher speed it will resist the wheel and be as hard as an asphalt bump

Sounds great, but I’m sure they are a hundred times more expensive than the lump of concrete that makes up a normal speed bump.

creative thinking is the essence of design, it doesn’t matter how much it cost, you need not worry about that for the moment for design breakthrough, if this things goes popular, eventually the price statistic will change by then. Keep up the great work!

Appearances are deceiving. I operate a snowplow, my plow would simply shear this off the pavement like so much bubblegum before a putty knife. I suggest that someone save the investors some money and demonstrate this device in a parking lot in Maine in January, showing before and after a box plow attached to a Caterpillar loader crosses over it at NORMAL plowing speeds.
For reference, look at this: http://www.plowsunlimited.com/GeneratedItems/boxplow.htm

So, if you approach it at the appropriate speed limit, then the bump will remain flat? if not it goes higher?….mmm… maybe its height should be proportional to the car’s approaching speed

So how long after installing these things would they need to be serviced? The locking mechanism would need to be rugged enough to stand up to the weight of SUVs and large trucks repeatedly running them over.

Great idea, I’m sick of having a sore bum!

Hey here’s a better idea… Why not put a shaped charge in the thing, that only goes off if you’re going too fast? Then there wouldn’t have ot be a bumb at all…

Am I being blonde or would it not be a good idea to work with the displacement of a liquid instead.

Making a liquid have the correct viscosity would mean it would only displace at a given speed meaning drivers driving slowly would not get a bump drivers driving quickly would not allow the liquid to displace fast enough and get a bump.

Incorporate the liquid is some sort of sealed flexible body and job done!

hi anyone nows who make this product or anyone produce this speed bumps and also price?

why not just get rid of all speed bumps? problem solved.

Those seem pretty cool. I wonder if they will actually ever be used.
-Jack

This invention was designed and made back in 2005 so is not new by any means. It was invented by a British engineer named Graham Heeks and is being used in the City of London in partnership with Dunlop Transcalm.