Glow In The Dark Roads Are Finally Here!
Following much hype surrounding glow in the dark roads from Studio Roosegaarde back in 2012, the futuristic technology is finally here, and it looks sci-fi to say the least!
Netherland highways have now replaced 500 metres of street lights with light absorbing glowing road markings to illuminate the road ahead.
Following years of cutting government red tape, the innovators have finally made their photo-luminescent technology into a reality (right) with the help of company Heijmans.
One Netherlands news report said, "It looks like you are driving through a fairy-tale," the design could also be compared the game/film TRON with its endless green lines.
Roosegaarde describes his moment of creation: "One day I was sitting in my car in the Netherlands, and I was amazed by these roads we spend millions on but no one seems to care what they look like and how they behave. I started imagining this Route 66 of the future where technology jumps out of the computer screen and becomes part of us."
Heijmans are now looking to expand the project but have yet to secure any further contracts. Practical tests must be carried out first to understand how the technology stands up to wear and tear and inconsistent light variations that charge the strips, supposedly for eight hours.
While the technology offers cost saving measures that benefits not only the motorist, but also local government, Roosegaarde speaks of bureaucracy being a big problem. His glow in the dark roads have been ready to go since October, however a license application and approvals from local authorities delayed plans by six months.
"There needs to be a call to ministers all over the world -- this is a problem, and we should not accept it," said Roosegaarde. "We should create labs in the city where we can experiment and explore these kinds of solutions. Like a free zone. We want to do it safely, but just give us a park [for the smog project] and we'll prove it to you. Be more open."