A Letterkenny-based entrepreneur is developing a new version of ‘cats eyes’ that could have a major positive impact on road safety.
Brian McGeehin, co-founder of Blue Eye Highway, has a patented product that essentially turns cats eyes blue when it is freezing and this acts as a warning on roads where there can be black ice.
The idea for this invention came from the breakfast table during a telephone conversation with Brian, who had left home early for work in Derry where he was an engineer. Sons Eóin and Ronan McGeehin entered the idea of cats eyes that change colour into the BT Young Scientist exhibition (Dublin) back in 2013 and they won the “Best Prototype”.
In recent times, having taken a package and left his job in Derry, Brian has been developing the product at the CoLab in the ATU Letterkenny, and the hope is that he will soon be bringing it to the market. It certainly has considerable potential and could be installed in place of millions of cats eyes all over the world.
Water expands by 9% when it freezes. They have created a device in a cat’s eye that appears on when the temperature is freezing (0’C or below). A lens appears over the eyes coming from below the road surface level. When the water inside the device freezes, because of the expansion it activates a lever system that leads to a blue colour over the lens above road surface level and when it thaws, it disappears back underground again.
For more details the website is: Blue Eye Highway Safety Ltd
You can listen to the full programme here:
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
