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Robotic Highway Cones

A University of Nebraska professor has developed robotic cones and barrels. These robotic cones and barrels can move out of the way, or into place, from computer commands made miles away. They can even be programmed to move on their own1 at any particular part of the day, said Shane Fanitor, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Nebraska.

For example, if workers arrived at 6 am, the cones could move from the side of the highway to block off the lane at that time. And they can return to the original place at the end of the day. “It just seems likea very good application for robots,” Farritor said. “The robotic cones would also help remove people from hazardous jobs on the highway putting barrels and cones into place,” Fanitor said in a report oh his creation.

Work on the idea began in 2002 using a National Academy of Sciences grant. The fund allowed Farritor to work on the project with graduate students2 at Nebraska and his assistant Steve Goddard.

The robots are placed at the bottomof the cones and barrels and are small enough not to greatly change the appearance of the construction aides. “It would look exactly the same,”Farritor said. “Normally there’s a kind of rubbery, black base to them. Were place that with a robot.

Farritor has talked with officials from the Nebraska Department of Roads about how the robots would be most useful to what they3 might need.

The robots could come in handy4 following a slow-moving maintenance operation, like painting a stripe on a road or moving asphalt, where now the barrels have to be picked up and moved as the operation proceeds. “That way you don’t have to block off a 10-mile strip forthe operation,5” Fanitor said.

While6 prototypes have been made, they are not in use anywhere. Farritor said he has applied for apatent and is considering what to do next. Heis thinking about starting a small business. He is also thinking about marketing the robots to roads departments and others across the country who7 may benefit from them.

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