‚Hedgehog‘ is an inflatable plastic roundabout traffic which prevents chaos and ensures the flow of traffic at intersections in case of traffic light failure.
It was developed in a two-day short-term-project in cooperation with ‚Teams Design‘ at the Faculty of Design in Pforzheim.
Topic of the project was ‚Black Out‘ – What happens in a city if the power fails for several days? Which new solution do people need in this situation?
Role
UX Design, Visual Design, Pitch
Team
Beatrice Schneider
Frederic Allenberg
Matthias Barsch
At major intersections the ‚Hedgehog‘ is stored in special storage systems mounted at the traffic lights. During a power failure the locking system is inactive and can be opened. Inside the storage is the ‚Hedgehog‘ and coatings for the traffic signs. By removing a small battery activates the red lights at the intersection for a few minutes. This allows the person to build up the ‚Hedgehog‘ on the intersection. Therefore it is placed on the ground and fastened by a simple vacuum-mechanism.
By pulling the handle, the ‚Plastimo-Ignition System‘ which is also used in life buoys, is activated. After 10 seconds a small gas capsule inflates the double wall system of the ‚Hedgehog‘. With its fluorescent imprinted arrows the new roundabout can be seen from a distance and provides a regulated traffic. The no longer valid road signs can now be covered with the new coatings. The inflatable model can also be used in case of accidents or road works.
