Traffic light design from the past uses analog thinking

Craft & Design Energy & Sustainability
800px-Marshalite_traffic_signal,_Melbourne_Museum.jpg

This traffic signal design from 1936 by Charles Marshall (called the “Marshalite”) was used in Australia for about 30 years and utilized 2 motorized rotors to point at colored sections of red, green, and yellow for the corresponding result. Using the standard clock face metaphor, the displays showed “signal phase timing” clearly on their faces.
[via]

10 thoughts on “Traffic light design from the past uses analog thinking

  1. peter says:

    very cool, although I like how our US traffic lights at a glance quickly show you which it is (only one lit at a time). You could incorporate this idea by adding a ring around the outside of the light to indicate how much time is left on it…or even have it “fill” the existing light, with a line going up or down to indicate how much time is left.

  2. GM says:

    This is a horrible design given that so many people are red/green color blind.

  3. agghtea says:

    @GM
    Yeah, dead problematic – just like these moden ones are… when the light at the top is on, stop, when the light at the bottom is on, go – nothing to do with colour at all!!!

    BTW, I DO like the idea of knowing how long is left on each phase.. being colour blind (but strangley having passed my driving test)…

    1. Jeremy says:

      quote
      “ahh didums…

      @GM
      Yeah, dead problematic – just like these moden ones are… when the light at the top is on, stop, when the light at the bottom is on, go – nothing to do with colour at all!!!

      BTW, I DO like the idea of knowing how long is left on each phase.. being colour blind (but strangley having passed my driving test)…”

      What are you guys talking about? Arrow points left, go, arrow points right, stop. And I’m betting the arrow moves the same way it does on a clock. In other words you know exactly how long till the next phase by where the arrow is.

      Holy crap I’m reeling from the lack of comprehension here.

  4. vcao says:

    Hello, I am newbie here, This is a nice website Welcome to my website:
    http://www.zuneconverter.net
    Thank you very much.

Comments are closed.

Discuss this article with the rest of the community on our Discord server!
Tagged

ADVERTISEMENT

Maker Faire Bay Area 2023 - Mare Island, CA

Escape to an island of imagination + innovation as Maker Faire Bay Area returns for its 15th iteration!

Buy Tickets today! SAVE 15% and lock-in your preferred date(s).

FEEDBACK