American drivers log nearly twice as many miles (1.33 trillion per year) as they did 25 years ago on roads that have increased in capacity by only five percent. The annual costs of traffic congestion keep rising: 3.7 billion hours of driver delays and 2.3 billion gallons of wasted fuel. Both our highway and electrical systems are getting old and need to be updated soon.
Several worldwide companies are working on several intelligent highway concepts to 1) improve the electric energy requirements, and provides 2) better traffic flow, 3) environmentally green atmosphere, 4) intelligent information for motorists, and 5) increased transportation safety.
An Idaho company, Solar Roadways is designing an intelligent solar highway system (shown here) for the U.S. Federal Highway Administration using solar panels, LED lighting, and more. Solar Roadways will generate up to three times the amount of energy our country needs if implemented everywhere. The glass panels will handle heavy loads such as large trucks and airliners for highways and airports.
This company has designed interlocking replaceable hexagonal panels topped with solar cells and impact resistant glass, which will generate electricity, melt snow and ice, light up the streets with programmable LED lights, and warn drivers of obstacles ahead, like animals, fallen branches, or pedestrians. Also, this intelligent highway will fix storm water drainage issues and replace overhead power lines with underground power and fiber communications cabling.
A Dutch company, Studio Roosegaarde is designing a prototype highway to provide a similar system using luminous paint instead of LED lights and using induction charging of electric vehicles while they’re moving on their solar highway. This concept will charge electric cars and color-changing paints that alert drivers to icy conditions. The highway of the future is just around the corner!
~ Bob Larson is a technologist, former engineer, and our Marketing Director. Contact Bob at Marketing@50plusmediasolutions.com