Glow in the dark roads

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Gaz

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This is genius (y)

http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/...eetlights-in-netherlands-to-save-money-energy

In an effort to save the massive amount of energy standard streetlights consume, and to present drivers with more information on the road, a Dutch company has transformed a highway in the Netherlands into an eerie glow-in-the-dark smart highway.

A couple of years ago, Dan Roosegaarde said he was sitting in his car in the Netherlands and realized that millions are spent on roads, but no one seems to care how they look or act. Then, while speaking to the BBC last year, Roosegaarde noted that the government is shutting down streetlights late at night in order to conserve energy and save money. Roosegaarde felt it was strange than we spend billions of dollars on designing and developing cars, but the things on which they’re used aren’t involved in that budget or process. So, his company — Studio Roosegaarde — teamed up with Heijmans, a Dutch civil engineering firm, to create a paint that can glow brightly enough in the dark — and under outdoor conditions — in order to light the way for drivers.

Een laatste blik op een pracht innovatie pic.twitter.com/DQTsFQZxR8

— Maxime Verhagen (@MaximeVerhagen) April 10, 2014

The team developed a photo-luminescent powder that, when mixed with road paint, can glow in the dark for up to 10 hours after charging up from the daytime sunlight. The paint was placed on a 0.3-mile stretch of highway N329, about 62 miles southeast of Amsterdam in the city of Oss. Studio Roosegaarde also aimed to add glowing weather symbols that would activate when the symbol’s corresponding weather conditions took place; for example, snowflake glyphs would appear on the road to indicate that the road is slippery and caution is advised. However, for now, only the glowing street lines have been implemented.

gitdroad-640x353.jpg


snowglyph-640x426.jpg
 

Gavlar

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Good idea with potential, you wonder what happens on really rainy/overcast days if they can't store enough power for during the night though
 

Gaz

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Good idea with potential, you wonder what happens on really rainy/overcast days if they can't store enough power for during the night though

Just won't work I guess, and go back to good old cat's eyes. Unless the technology moves on and they can develop a luminescent paint that can stay bright for longer after a charge.

Seen this the other day. Sweet looking but I d doubt we ll ever see them, there not that fussed even fixing pot holes

Agreed. Nonetheless this would be relatively low cost to implement, just mix it with existing road paint and paint over existing lines.
 

Gavlar

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Can understand them turning off the lights in the really late hours to save energy as theres littke to no traffic between say 2am-5am but if this rolled out then winter nights would have no streetlights either (6/7pm onwards) would make it dangerous to spot potential hazards or broken down vehicles too with heavier traffic loads. Well, all this is based if the lines don't get enough sunlight during the day.

I do think something like this does have future potential though. Cats eyes themselves are genius but they could do with being upgraded
 

Gaz

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What if it snows over them?

Then you have exactly the same issue that happens if it snows on normal white lines or cats eyes ............. you can't see them.
 

Lostinspace

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Then you have exactly the same issue that happens if it snows on normal white lines or cats eyes ............. you can't see them.
:confounded:

These are being used as an alternative to street lights.... Street lights work in the snow...what's your point?
 

stevieturbo

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It said they were being used as an alternative to street lights, where street lights were not available.

It didnt say they were to replace street lights.
 

Gaz86

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It'll never happen here anyway, that's far too forward thinking for the mongs in Westminster, and who's gonna pay for it all IF they ever do come up with a viable solution?? Take a guess
 
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