The "Singing" Highway in South Korea - Neatorama

Driving down the highway in South Korea can be a musical experience (just enough to get your attention, in case you're sleepy or not paying attention):

The road is carved into thousands of grooves. When the car tire hits the grooves, the vibrations turn into a sound source. It makes different tunes depending on the size of the grooves ... The rhythm is controlled by the lengh of the groove. For example to get one second of the "do" note, the groove is stretched 28 meters.

Link [ABC World News Webcast by Joo Hee Choo]

Don't get me wrong, but don't nice tunes make it actually easier to fall asleep?

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

THAT IS SO COOL sorry didn't mean to yell.. but yea-- that is neat. very worthy of blog attention.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

If you read Jasper Fford's "the big over easy" there is a character whose drive way plays a song in the same way... weird. :)

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

True enough, Aeris; but the one they picked — Mary Had A Little Lamb — is annoying enough that it'd keep me awake. Dang; now it's stuck in my head. Time to crank up iTunes.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Walt Disney World experimented with this back in the early nineties. Different roads around the property played bits of different Disney tunes as you drove over.

Does this mean we have to think it's evil now?

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Maybe we can get musicians/advertisers to pay for road jingles.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

how neat :D

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

That's asinine - it increases wear on tires.

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

pretty clever idea with the whole tune thing, but does it increase the stopping distance if a driver has to make an emergency stop? since the road isn't continuous it's got grooves in, wont that mean there is less resistance if the car brakes suddenly?

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Neat. I've hit patches of road that play a single note. Cool that someone got the idea to do it on purpose and make a song!

Abusive comment hidden. (Show it anyway.)

Login to comment.

Click here to access all of this post's 10 comments

This website uses cookies.

This website uses cookies to improve user experience. By using this website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our Privacy Policy.