We had no reason to offer any further proof that Japan is the unquestionable winner when it comes to wacky inventions, but the Melody Road convinces us our judgment is completely accurate. The Melody Road will allow a car passing above it to play a simple tune, which is made audible by ridges on the road's surface. The pitch of the note created is increased by increasing the frequency of the ridges, and the opposite is also true. Jump for more details, and a completely baffling video.
The optimum speed for the best sound reproduction is a shockingly slow 28 mph. At that speed, a little noise will be needed to keep the driver/passengers alive awake. In that respect, this is a fantastic measure against excessively slow drivers—who wants this crazy whirring going on while they are driving? The Melody Road has been incorporated in three locations throughout Japan, including Hokkaido, Wakayama and Gunma. The video of the surface in action kinda left us a bit puzzled as to what the music generated actually sounded like, but the peeps in the video seemed to be lapping it up—who are we to argue? Check it out below: