Mystery Surrounds Metal Towers Popping Up in Tunnels and Bridges

License plate scanning? Facial recognition? Cell phone tracking? Chemical / radiological sniffing?

Sure is odd to have a very public piece of infrastructure get erected over and over and yet not get an explanation about what it is.

T55vrx54SoJ 8 years ago | |

If I recall correctly isn't tire pressure monitoring done through wireless communications (on newish models) as well? Seems like another possible tracking vector, as there are likely unique identifiers. That said, I can't really speculate as to whether a tower like that would be a suitable means to collect that info... Oh well, there are really just so many ways you can theoretically (or practically) be tracked these days.

StLCylone 8 years ago | |

License plate scanning = most likely, Facial recognition = probably not, Cell phone tracking = not necessary, Chemical / radiological sniffing = possible

King-Aaron 8 years ago | | |

To expand on your answer, judging by the IR led's in the 'floodlight' arrangements on top, I'd say 100% that they're scanning plates, and it's highly likely they're doing face scans too(i.e. http://iomniscient.com/) and other imaging.. For instance in Australia they sometimes check for people not wearing seat belts with similar camera arrangements. I'd also bet that they take speed readings.

They likely house a level of chemical-sniffing technology too, like police cars can be equipped with (http://www.inficon.com/). These sniffers would likely be actively looking at emission levels etc (being near tunnels would provide a reason for that), however can also detect explosives etc.

tobtoh 8 years ago | | |

> For instance in Australia they sometimes check for people not wearing seat belts with similar camera arrangements.

I live/drive in Australia and I've never heard of such a thing - neither location or anyone fined by this method. Do you have an example location where this is in place? Or an article describing it?

King-Aaron 8 years ago | | |

Yeah as the comment below notes, I should have been clearer. They manually check, however I can't see it as too much of a stretch that an operator might check the feeds every now and then for such a thing. I know in the Northbridge Tunnel (Perth) they don't send fines for speeding infringements, yet if you are seen driving dangerously through the tunnel they'll get you for everything they can positively identify as illegal if they want to follow you up - i.e. in the event of an accident etc.

Source: My brother is an officer and have discussed with him about what they do and don't monitor.

Edit: old article link as the other commenter seems to have removed theirs http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-police...

burntrelish1273 8 years ago | | |

If a bunch of unpopular technologies "need" to be deployed by a particular bureaucracy at a key transit point, it makes sense to dump them into a single project and not comment about them. "National security" maybe claimed simultaneously for both legitimate and ostensible reasons.

burntrelish1273 8 years ago |

It's probably worth journalists / private citizens following-up with FOIA request(s).

aaron695 8 years ago |

I like the conspiracy theory they have nothing into them and it's a cover up for an art project.

http://gothamist.com/2017/09/26/towers_mta_gateway_cuomo.php

kbart 8 years ago |

Wow, they look straight from some dystopian sci-fi movie. All it's missing are few turrets on top.

brador 8 years ago | |

The video game "Homefront: The Revolution" is the closest interactive experience of this situation.

_wmd 8 years ago |

flagged due to autoplay and really utterly offensively crap journalism

numbsafari 8 years ago |

A new season of "Person of Interest"?