Trials are underway in a town south of Amsterdam on roads bearing markings, which absorb light during the day and diffuse it at night potentially superseding street lighting.
The markings on the roads in Oss, 100 kilometers south of the Dutch capital, have used a special paint containing a special "photo-luminizing" powder, which glows after dark.
The luminescent effect lasts for up to eight hours.
Interactive artist Daan Roosegaarde has pioneered the idea. He has joined forces with a Dutch civil engineering company to put the idea into effect.
“These are “Glowing Lines”, which form part of the Smart Highway project. We developed a type of paint, which charges up during the day, and glows at night. So, it works if there’s enough sun, and if it’s cloudy, we can supply a little bit of electricity to top them up a little. We use a solar panel so it’s energy-neutral. It’s functional, but I also find it very artistic,” Roosegaarde has explained.
Also up his sleeve is giant weather symbols which can appear on the road to warn drivers of icy conditions.
“We are working on roads that charge electric cars whilst driving. We are developing a paint that will be used to print snowflakes on the surface of the road and will light up when it’s slippery. It’s a dynamic paint that appears when necessary and then disappears again,” Roosegaarde has said.
HN/HN Comments
Mark
Excellent! Finally someone is using their gift of intelligence for something other than the US war machine.