Moving Signal for Highway Safety Under Obscured Conditions (Sensor/Beacon)

Current safety markers for aiding drivers in fog conditions only mark lane boundaries or warn motorists to lower speeds. These aids are not effective, however, for informing the driver of the location of leading vehicles. Tenelex Industries, Inc., is proposing to develop a low-cost, passive solar powered, electronically activated, LED race pavement marker called LifeLites. These markers would be automatically triggered using an optical and/or sonic triggering mechanism that would activate the LEDs, leaving a lighted trail behind a passing vehicle to of their near presence. Tenelex Industries, Inc., will negotiate with federal and state highway safety regulating agencies to incorporate their requirements into the prototype design. Design considerations will include the capacity for future networking LifeLites for traffic pacing in tunnels and bridges. Anticipated Benefits: Low-cost electronic race pavement markers offer significant benefits for public safety. In addition to use in fog-related conditions, these passive solar powered units could be used on rural or mountain roads where hills or curves limit visibility.