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Glow In The Dark Roads Make Debut In Netherlands

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posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:06 PM
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Glow in the dark lane markings have debuted in Netherlands, they've been described as fairy tale like. They're created by mixing a photo luminescent powder in with the paint that glows in the dark for up to 10 hours after charging in the daylight.

Light-absorbing glow-in-the-dark road markings have replaced streetlights on a 500m stretch of highway in the Netherlands.
Studio Roosegaarde promised us the design back in 2012, and after cutting through rather a lot of government red tape we can finally see the finished product.
One Netherlands news report said, "It looks like you are driving through a fairytale," which pretty much sums up this extraordinary project. The design studio like to bring technology and design to the real world, with practical and beautiful results.


The glow in the dark design also includes weather warnings, they appear at certain temperature levels. I like the look and it makes sense to utilize technology like this to warn about upcoming hazardous road conditions, it will probably end up saving some lives.


Back in October 2012, Daan Roosegaarde, the studio's founder and lead designer, told us: "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."

I'm not sure about it becoming part of us, lol. Sometimes it can be very difficult to see the lane markings when it's dark or stormy out. I wonder how the paint will hold up, it will be interesting to see if the use of this paint takes off outside of the Netherlands.
Full article

This technology will eventually also be used on streetlights in the Netherlands, and will end up saving money on by lowering energy use.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that, back in 2011, England’s Highway Agency shut off a significant amount of the country’s streetlights overnight in order to meet a carbon emissions goal. The mass turn-off ended up saving the agency about $668,000 (or £400,000). Another of the country’s councils estimated that setting one-third of England’s streetlights to either turn off during a certain period of time, or allowing them to be dimmed, would save around $1,337,000 (or £800,000) per year.

source

edit on 15-4-2014 by Jennyfrenzy because: added source



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:07 PM
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Very cool! All I can think of is TRON!

And this would be my ride....


edit on 4/15/14 by Vasa Croe because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:13 PM
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I have been waiting for this for a long time. It makes no sense to NOT use glow in the dark and temperature sensitive road markers.

I cant wait until this makes it to the US.



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:14 PM
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Excellent. Not only are they very cool, but I'd imagine they are much safer than just regular painted on lines. It'll be interesting to see if the accident statistics change with the new glow in the dark roads ....



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:14 PM
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WOW! This would make driving at night SO MUCH EASIER for people like me, with pronounced myopia - the glare from overhead lights, oncoming vehicles, and the dark together make it downright dangerous for me to drive at night in the countryside.

I hate it....I usually refuse to do it, actually. Especially if it's raining or snowing - and I don't know the route.

This would help SO MUCH!!!

Yay for the Netherlands!! SOLAR FTW!!!
S/F

edit on 4/15/2014 by BuzzyWigs because: (no reason given)



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:15 PM
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reply to post by Vasa Croe
 


Now that you mention it! I wonder if he was inspired by the look of Tron?

That car driving on a glow in the dark road would be a sight to see



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:17 PM
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Nova Scotia Please!

Worst roads I have ever seen.

Peace



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:19 PM
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reply to post by Jennyfrenzy
 


Hey, could you post a source link to this? I want to learn more about it.
Heck, if we even used paint that glows under blacklight, and equipped headlights with 'blacklight' tech, that would improve things immensely!!

What a brilliant idea.



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:19 PM
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Oh that is just so cool.

I can really believe it too, its almost like somone should have done it already.

Might make driving a bit surreal like an 80's video driving game after a few hours though, id be concerned a bit about that.



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:19 PM
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i could also see this as a kinda of bleed over for aircraft safety.
lose your instruments or cant see, look for the glow in the glow in the dark roads.



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:20 PM
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reply to post by BuzzyWigs
 


Oops! Totally spaced out, need coffee! Added it to the OP too


Here you go



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:22 PM
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captaintyinknots
I cant wait until this makes it to the US.


It won't be surprising if it takes a few decades before it does.



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:23 PM
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looks cool but still doesn't do nothing for people not paying attention driving .

I think I would rather have my city fix the potholes before they started thinking of venturing off like this , oh my the price tag



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:27 PM
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reply to post by freedomSlave
 


Simply adding photo-sensitive material to the paint wouldn't be that much of a big deal. Seems to me.
Potholes are another problem, and I don't see how they could be 'fixed' by this tech - but it would definitely reduce the accidents caused by poor night-vision + poor lighting.



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:31 PM
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Marvellous...

My head office is in the Netherlands and they probably have the best motorways in Europe apart from France...

However, what worries me are all the Pulp Fiction oldies from other countries visiting Amsterdam for the first time and then hiring or driving their car....

Multicolour accidents galore!!!! ... Sadly...

Ewwweeeeeee!

Kindest respects

Rodinus
edit on 15/4/14 by Rodinus because: Phrase added



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:33 PM
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reply to post by Jennyfrenzy
 


This is way cool, and ive been following this for a while but, I'm sad to say, I probably wont see it for another decade or two. You see, I live in flint Michigan, and we have the worst roads in the world. Heck, i know of pot holes older than most people.

Whoever is State side and gets these new cool roads. U2U me, so I can take a road trip and check them out..



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:45 PM
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jude11
Nova Scotia Please!

Worst roads I have ever seen.

Can't be worse than west coast US. Botts dots technology make good speed "bumps" (a warning indicator when drifting across lane boundaries) but don't actually illuminate unless headlights hit them. That means your vision about road direction is only as good as your (or others) headlights.

I heard they just started putting in glow in the dark markers for stairwells in hi rises, too. I did that in the garage 14 years ago.

Further: Could be neat… all alone on the hiway, running lights off. Yee haw!

Bott's Dots



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 12:46 PM
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Wow! This is really cool. I wonder if you can see these roads from orbit. I bet that would be a Sight to see.



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 01:00 PM
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reply to post by Jennyfrenzy
 


Good idea, and same with the temperature paint. I'm not sure about the idea they have of the road lights lighting up in front of you as your driving, I'd rather see them just turn off if no cars a detected with a half mile-mile or it could get distracting and hypnotizing on long trips. The little windmills is a good idea to save electricity, but that would be a lot of wiring and maintenance. There is a hotel near me that has a windmill that looks like jet turbine blades, maybe made from an old engine, that is pretty neat. Also have seen ones on top of builds that are like a long cylinder laying down, and the wind blows into and up and over the side of building, this catches it. Something of that design just over the road, on signs, overpasses, EZ pass, would be a great idea for powering street lights.

COOL FIND Jennyfrenzy!



posted on Apr, 15 2014 @ 01:28 PM
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Good idea at summertime, bad idea at winter time.

But most of all, good idea for saving energy.




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