Given all of the subsequent developments and use of radar it is interesting that in his patent, Hülsmeyer rather intriguingly suggested that his invention could even be used as a remote control -- "for actuating mechanism placed at a distance, for instance closing circuits and releasing clockworks [and] for the purpose of turning on and off all kinds of lights" or activating railroad switches and signals. He had originally developed the system for use on congested waterways following the death of a friend in a ship-collision accident.