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Bundle cables to keep them tidy

The control box has two main components: A specialized device that interfaces with the stop light and a sensor that detects signals from the smartphone of an approaching cyclist who has the Bike Connect app. As the cyclist rolls up to the light, the app and the sensor talk to each other, turning the light green more quickly. According to its designers, it can be put together at home with a soldering iron and $200 in parts—although that doesn’t mean that you should try to install one on a neighborhood stop light without permission and assistance from city engineers.

Hydraulic control boxes are another type of control device you’ll frequently encounter in heavy industry. These devices control the pressure of hydraulic fluid throughout a system and are used in contexts from construction equipment to manufacturing floors to agricultural applications such as automatic hay balers .