# What's this device attached to a stop sign?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 3, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592 "2013-07-03T23:22:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592/1 "2013-07-03T23:22:37Z")
So this very mysterious-looking device appeared attached to a stop sign down the street from me for about 2 days and then disappeared again. Anyone know what it is? It’s a road they’re building a bridge on and about a week ago they had those traffic counter hoses in the road so perhaps this is related to that? Or something else? And if this is indeed a traffic counting device, how in the heck does it work?
Picture 1: [http://i.imgur.com/uwJspPe.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/uwJspPe.jpg)
Picture 2: [http://i.imgur.com/81mrneN.jpg](http://i.imgur.com/81mrneN.jpg)
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592/2 "2013-07-04T01:46:41Z")
Are the greenish pixellated things street signs that you have anonymized, or are they part of the weird device?
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### Author:  [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592/3 "2013-07-04T02:31:08Z")
My WAG is, it looks like it could be a camera of some sort, to gather data relating to the vehicles (weight/size, # of axles, speed) that travel on that road/street.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2013, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592/4 "2013-07-04T03:38:22Z")
It’s a camera. When bridge work is going on here, and the cars are confined to one lane only, the camera detects traffic and controls the stop/go temporary lighting.
I don’t know if you had any of that, but that is certainly a camera.
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### Author:  [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2013, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592/5 "2013-07-04T14:23:32Z")
That stop sign is the only traffic control device there (cross street doesn’t stop) so I suppose it’s gathering data on the traffic. They’re probably deciding if a traffic light is needed there. Thanks!
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [July 5, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-this-device-attached-to-a-stop-sign/662592/6 "2013-07-05T16:30:23Z")
Yeah its a camera. And its feed probably goes straight to a bank of monitors under Obama’s Oval Office desk! 😃