Smart Levees

Smart Levees

With Hurricane Katrina foremost on our minds and on TV, it's worth exploring to see what smart preventive technology could be 1) used to rebuild New Orleans or 2) installed around the country in areas that lie in flood plains or at risk of rising ocean levels.

California is experimenting with "smart" levees> These intelligent barriers are wired with nervous systems of electronic failure sensors that sound alarms if a weakening levee threatens to open a breach, giving crews time to make emergency repairs.

Couple this new capability to surveillance cameras and motion sensors and authorities can monitor the conditions around the potential breach. ..It would warn authorities if terrorists try to send an explosive-packed rowboat up to a levee.

ETA : Now 2005;
Level: Intelligence Level (1) Adapting: Modifying Behaviour to React to/Fit the Environment
Status: working commercial version

What do you think of this smart technology ? Pros or Cons? Impacts?

Walter Derzko

Expert and Guest Speaker on the Smart Economy and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy
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....Next we will look at smart flexible concrete that bends under stress