Wouldn't it be cool if there was a gadget that could turn a red traffic light green? Now there is -- and it's small enough to strap onto a bicycle.
Bicyclists and motorcyclists get stuck at red lights more than cars do. That's because many traffic lights are wired up to induction-loop sensors in the pavement, and until the sensors detect the presence of a car, they won't change from red to green. This is hugely frustrating to bicyclists of the law-abiding variety (there must be some out there, right?).
So inventor Ed Richley decided to do something about it: He built a gadget that you can strap onto your bike frame and use to trip the traffic sensors. It does this by emitting a brief but strong magnetic field that simulates the presence of a much larger conductor (like a car).
Best of all, the gadget is legal. Probably.
Richley's gadget is just a prototype at this point, but he's looking for manufacturers to bring this much-needed product to the biking masses.
Wired.com's Autopia has the details: Bike Gadget Turns Red Lights Green
