Skip to main content

Creepy robots direct Japan’s work zone traffic

Driving through a road construction zone usually involves obeying flashing signs or traffic signals. Japan has another answer to moving motorists through a road construction zone –battery powered robots. Called Anzen Taro, which roughly translates to ‘Safety Sam’, the dead-eyed entities range from electronic cartoons to crude scarecrows and disembodied torsos and are used to control traffic around government-funded construction sites in Japan. Their complexity varies from a simple metal plate to clothed
January 29, 2014 Read time: 1 min
Driving through a road construction zone usually involves obeying flashing signs or traffic signals.  Japan has another answer to moving motorists through a road construction zone –battery powered robots.

Called Anzen Taro, which roughly translates to ‘Safety Sam’, the dead-eyed entities range from electronic cartoons to crude scarecrows and disembodied torsos and are used to control traffic around government-funded construction sites in Japan. Their complexity varies from a simple metal plate to clothed mannequins, all with a robotic arm to direct traffic.

Related Content

  • Growing ITS capability, a way to increase infrastructure capacity
    February 2, 2012
    Iteris's Greg McKhann makes the case for policymakers to look more seriously at the use of ITS as a means of increasing existing infrastructure capacity
  • SRL shows green for highway workzone stop and go
    June 5, 2023
    Company launches Rosgo as well as enhancing Urban64 traffic control system
  • Ukraine turns to ITS to cope with traffic increases
    June 9, 2015
    With increasing road fatalities the Ukrainian government is planning to introduce ITS technology in 2016-2017. Eugene Gerden finds out more. The government of Ukraine is considering a massive introduction of ITS in the national system of traffic during the period 2016-2017, according to a recent statement by the Ukrainian Ministry of Transport. According to the Ukrainian government, implementation of the project is an acute need, as in recent years the number of road accidents in Ukraine has significantly
  • Partnerships with Japan, EU Accelerate ITS Development
    December 3, 2012
    According to the Transportation Research Board ITS Committee, international cooperation between the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU) is helping accelerate the research and development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) standards and technologies by fostering collaboration between professionals on three continents. "Through international cooperation, we're able to learn from each other more quickly and with less expense than if we were working on our own," said Jane Lappin, chair of