Netherlands (Rotterdam)
A Dutch designer has reimagined the roads of tomorrow, designing a ‘Smart Highway’ to make them safer while saving money and energy – and potentially relieving life-sapping traffic congestion.
A believer in what he calls ‘techno-poetry‘, Dan Roosegaarde was inspired by the phosphorescent sea world to design a kit of parts that accessorises roads with sustainability, safety and perception by embedding technology such as photo-luminescent paint and solar power. Cute snowflakes and glow-in-the-dark lines don’t just look trippy. Smart paint harvests energy by absorbing sunlight, signs respond to temperatures to communicate weather and traffic cues, and electric cars are charged by induction coils.
Having piloted his Glowing Lines project in the city of Oss, Roosegaarde plans to expand internationally. Soon the solar-powered, glow-in-the-dark stones lighting his Van Gogh Starry Night, a 1km bicycle path stretching through the Dutch province of Noord Brabant, could be replicated in India – paving the way for a beautiful future where culture and innovation merge.
Project leader
Daan Roosegaarde, Artist and Founder, Studio Roosegaarde
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