That may seem a bit Orwellian at first glance, and there is a concern that the pedestrian info could be used in tandem with other monitoring techniques to get a better idea of someone's daily activity. However, team scientist Charlie Catlett tells the Chicago Tribune that all the data collection is anonymous -- the smart lights won't be identifying people, recording sounds or taking pictures. That's not going to completely assuage privacy advocates worried about a surveillance-happy government, but the initiative may pay off if it makes urban life a little more bearable.

[Image credit: Iceninejon, Flickr]