Saturday - October 18, 2008

Just the High Notes Please

You know those water grooves that the highway department cuts into certain parts of some roads? When you drive over them they make quite a racket inside your car. Well, some bright worker figured out that if the spacing between the grooves was altered a bit, then the racket would turn into music if you drove over them at the right speed. So they tried it, and it worked, and people got a kick out of it. Naturally government stepped in and put the kabosh on things. But now they’ve figured out that it’s a tourist attraction, so they’re going to put them back. Nothing like wasting more of the taxpayer’s money, right?

LANCASTER, Calif.  — The folks who silenced the nation’s first “musical road” are singing a different tune. Workers on Wednesday began carving grooves on Avenue G that will produce notes of the “William Tell Overture” when cars drive over them.

The high desert city north of Los Angeles placed the grooves on another road, Avenue K, last month for a Honda commercial. The quarter-mile strip was engineered to play the notes — better known as the theme for “The Lone Ranger” — when motorists in Honda Civics hit them at 55 mph.

It was believed to be the first such musical road in the United States, although there are others in Japan, South Korea and Holland.  The city paved over that stretch two weeks later after neighbors complained the noise was annoying and kept them awake. The city, however, received hundreds of calls praising the road and decided to retain the concept.

“It will be a tourist attraction. It will pull people off the freeway,” Mayor R. Rex Parris said.

Many residents also liked it.
...
The city paved over that stretch two weeks later after neighbors complained the noise was annoying and kept them awake.
...
The city decided to recreate the road in an industrial area away from homes. On Tuesday the City Council approved spending up to $35,000 for the work. City officials said there has been interest from several companies in sponsoring the road and reimbursing the cost in return for publicity.

I wonder how long it will take before somebody figures out that this kind of road surface is also a speed trap? If the tempo is off, it’s a guarantee you’re speeding.

I can see the advertising angle easily. They won’t even have to put up a sign saying “this bit of road sponsored by”. Americans are so familiar with advertising jingles it would be automatic. You’re just driving along, minding your own business, and suddenly everyone in the car is singing “Extra value is what you get, when you buy Coronet.”

Let’s take this to the next level and see if this concept can’t also synthesize speech. 

Posted by Drew458     on 10/18/2008 at 07:08 AM   
Filed Under: • Amazing Science and Discoveries • Fun-Stuff •  
• Comments (4) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

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