Ever wondered what those antennae were mounted on freeway signs? Or what the rectangular cuts in the roadway were? Well, they’re probably sensors. Ever wondered how they’re used? Here’s a great example: 511.org and another CalTrans Realtime Traffic Cameras.

Here’s a realtime traffic load map from 511.org:

You can also meld technology like route planning with real-time sensor information to factor the most time effective way to get to your destination. Pretty cool stuff.

Earlier this week Jay posted a great blog entry on the ChampionChip – a sensor for the athlete. Wouldn’t it be interesting to mix that capability into vehicles and combine it with the services and sensors from 511.org? Those of you who are privacy sensitive are likely saying “no freaking way!” As with all tools, it can be used for good and evil. I think the overall good outweighs the evil potential.