I clearly remember that laser room in the first Resident Evil movie which was certainly a pants wetting experience for those in there, and I was quite bummed that the leader of the group tried his best to escape before the entire “net” of lasers sliced him to bits. Well, lasers could harm, and if used correctly, they could also help us humans. Not to bust a door open by cutting a hole through it, but rather, this concept design by Hojoon Lim hopes that laser beams fired at a safe frequency will see action at crosswalks, helping keep pedestrians safe. Known as the Guardian system (for obvious reasons), it aims (pun not intended) to further improve road safety and help prevent traffic accidents.
Apparently, the Guardian laser system will prevent humans and vehicles from crossing paths simultaneously – hence reducing the risk of an accident between the two. When folks need to cross the street, laser beams will shoot out horizontally to warn vehicles that they should stop, and when it is time for the pedestrians to stop, the laser beams will alternate to prevent them from getting onto the sidewalk. Sounds energy intensive to me…