Astucia SolarLite LED studs light up highways after dark

A number of UK roads are lookin' a lot brighter now, and it's all thanks to the SolarLite smart stud. Produced and marketed by Astucia, these active markers trump the traditional passive reflectors by storing up solar energy all day and then emitting light from dust 'til dawn in order to improve visibility from around 90-meters to 900-meters. The LED-based units reportedly extend driver reaction time from 3.2-seconds to over half a minute when cruising at 60mph, have an expected lifespan of eight to ten years and are said to have reduced night time accidents in certain areas by over 70-percent. Unfortunately, we've no idea when (or if) these things will show up on roads in other nations, but this would sure beat toggling one's brights off and on to get a better look ahead while simultaneously infuriating oncoming motorists.

[Via Autoblog]

[Towncivilian @ Nov 21st 2007 5:02PM]

Typo:

"from dust 'til dawn"

Eh? Dust?

[GJP303 @ Nov 21st 2007 5:07PM]

In dusty conditions, light is needed on the road. He's completely correct. What did you think he meant, Dusk? Ha Ha, No.

[Mickey Jones @ Nov 21st 2007 7:00PM]

Smart Stud?

I wish I had a dime for every time I was called that.

[gil the great1 @ Nov 27th 2007 9:56PM]

@ mickey jones comment, if you had a dime every time that hapenned.. you'd probably end up owing somehow.. moron!!! what the hell kinda comment was that?

[Nathan @ Nov 21st 2007 5:04PM]

"...emitting light from dust 'til dawn..."

I wasn't aware there was a time of day known as dust. Maybe these are only on gravel and dirt roads?

[Ty @ Nov 21st 2007 5:07PM]

Yea because nobody, especially us dummies on a tech blog would have never known what he really meant.

[Nathan @ Nov 21st 2007 5:09PM]

Yeah because it wasn't a light hearted joke. You should take anonymous comments MORE SERIOUSER!

[paul34 @ Nov 21st 2007 5:13PM]

The Internet. Serious business.

[Larry @ Nov 21st 2007 6:46PM]

Srsly.

[DJ @ Nov 21st 2007 10:56PM]

The Internet. Seriouser business.

[insertAlias @ Nov 21st 2007 5:06PM]

This is a great idea. I don't know how many times I've almost run off an unfamiliar road at night because I couldn't see an oncoming turn until I was right upon it.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Nov 21st 2007 7:08PM]

To improve upon the idea, when the weight of a car drives presses on top of them, it should generate additional power (by a downward force) by adding a piezoelectric generation or some other force dynamo in to the "reflector"; allowing it to gain an additional charge during inclement weather or overcast days. Such a system would not replace the solar charger but would be an augmentation and would work to assure a charge remained throughout the starry night.

[Bloobie @ Nov 21st 2007 8:17PM]

re: I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY

Only if you enjoy driving along the edge of the road or with your wheels dangerously close to the center of the road. :)

[HyperHacker @ Nov 21st 2007 9:35PM]

I dread to think how much this would cost to install!

[James Cameron @ Nov 22nd 2007 12:38AM]

Instead of wasting it on the whole road. This is only needed on a curve road and you really dont need to have them on a straight road.

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Nov 22nd 2007 12:57AM]

@Bloobie

It will work. Not every car will hit it, many will stay with in the line but some will stray out side or on the line. We have all run in to the reflectors or gone too fast in to a curve only to find ourselves slightly in the other lane and then correct the matter a moment later.

[Taomyn @ Nov 22nd 2007 4:02AM]

@James Cameron

It's not a waste - since moving from the UK to mainland Europe I hate the fact that so few roads have "cats eyes" or their equivalent. In poor weather conditions and especially in heavy rain, straight line paint markers are totally useless and you can't tell what lane your in. In the UK they're a god-send as they help to keep you from straying into other traffic or off the road.

[Wwhat @ Nov 22nd 2007 2:41PM]

No they don't, I hear almost everybody drives on the wrong side almost all the time in britain.

[BlissX @ Nov 21st 2007 5:06PM]

2 Rants.

1. I think people go to blogs just to be Grammar-esque Nazi's. Because obviously most people care about everything but the subject matter.

2. What is up with that Apple ads. Is it not proper internet etiquette to have ADs with audio, uh, MUTED. Therefore unmuted by people who have an interest in said ad. THX FOR THAT REALLY LOUD ANNOYING AD.

Side-Note, I think the LED's are cool. I personally would love to see it come over state-side. But imagine the fool who's high off drugs, thinking the highway is some kind of rave panel. Hence a higher increase in high-speed pursuits, or crashes.

[grjohnston @ Nov 21st 2007 7:19PM]

I think you're an Ad-Nazi. Plus, did you not see the other, multiple posts about that ad? How many comments sections are we going to have to talk about this thing in?

[BlissX @ Nov 21st 2007 7:22PM]

If you couldn't read, I was not regarding the Ad taking 50% of the screen (which was the purpose of that post).

No, I was regarding the fact that maybe 1 out of 5 times I load EnGadget, it plays the Apple Ad unmuted.


I think you're an interweb-Nazi. But I won't tell anyone else. ;)

[HyperHacker @ Nov 21st 2007 9:36PM]

This is why AdBlock was invented.

[iseedeadpeople @ Nov 21st 2007 11:01PM]

"Nazis"

[Adoniteking @ Nov 21st 2007 5:10PM]

Drivers can now fully act out their pilot fantasies...just try not to land..its still a highway and not runway

[podphreak @ Nov 22nd 2007 3:59AM]

F-ZERO!!!!!!!


Am I the only one who thought that when i read this? yeah? Okay I'm a dork....

[Eric @ Nov 21st 2007 5:13PM]

What happens in the winter?

Around here, it'd be great for those roads without streetlights (which is most of them), but we're just a short drive from Buffalo and "seven-feet-of-snow-days."

[Wodheila @ Nov 21st 2007 5:17PM]

I was wondering that too. I suppose they've a way to keep the plows from shaving them off but in of places which you speak, it gets deep fast.

[Shadyman @ Nov 21st 2007 5:56PM]

They would have to be recessed into the road like the current passive reflectors, so they don't get plowed out by snowplows.

[RikF @ Nov 21st 2007 7:50PM]

They aren't so much recessed (they've been around for a couple of years now on the A38) as they are plungers. They have sloped sides and push down into the road (we've had cats eyes for a *long* time now and they don't get torn up every year!) which, IIRC, actually causes them to get wiped by spring loaded rollers and cleaned up :) It is an odd sensation when you realise you can see the cats eyes glowing *behind* you as well as infront!

[TheWakeUpCall @ Nov 22nd 2007 7:49PM]

We don't get days like that in Britain (except on rare occasions, and maybe in Scotland). It would only be a problem if they took it abroad.

[Alistair loveless @ Nov 21st 2007 5:20PM]

Why couldnt a few of these evey couple meters be equipped with rfid, allowing a car with gps and rfid reader drive itself?

[Josh L @ Nov 21st 2007 5:24PM]

Because then the tinfoil-hatters would whine about how the government is trying to keep them down by tracking their movements with RFID.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 21st 2007 6:10PM]

Technically, you wouldn't need RFID. You could have then all emit infrared light that an on-board camera tracks on.

[Tachikomatic @ Nov 21st 2007 6:48PM]

Which is so silly, since the majority RFID tags are PASSIVE, letting them do absolutely nothing in terms of tracking anything. Now, if the cars had tags in them, and the studs had readers, that would be a different story. But hey, who bothers getting it right when you have paranoia on your side?

[HyperHacker @ Nov 21st 2007 9:38PM]

Imagine how much it'd cost?

"Technically, you wouldn't need RFID. You could have then all emit infrared light that an on-board camera tracks on."
And then sit at the side of the road running people into the ditch with a TV remote. Awesome!

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 21st 2007 10:31PM]

If it was programmed correctly, you'd track several infrared sources, verify they are in a relatively straight/gradual curve line and that single iR remote or a collection of goofs standing next to a ditch would trigger an alarm in the car alerting the driver of a loss of tracking and the car slowing down. That is of course, if the iR tracking was poorly programmed and couldn't sort out random dots from a line of dots. I'm pretty sure image processing has gone beyond what you could do with an iR remote.

[tintin @ Nov 21st 2007 5:22PM]

Great! So now I can drive with no headlights, and pretend its 1978 and I'm playing the old driving arcade games.

Perhaps they can equip these with those retina burning lasers so they can burn through the layers of snow and ice.

[martijn @ Nov 21st 2007 5:22PM]

I have these around the corner where I live, and they are totally great

[richie @ Nov 21st 2007 5:28PM]

These are being used for some areas in New Zealand now, and they rock!

[dannybolabo @ Nov 21st 2007 5:57PM]

Cool, where abouts exactly, do you know?

[JackDebian @ Nov 21st 2007 5:30PM]

Does this remind anyone else of 'Night Driver' on the Atari 2600?

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 21st 2007 6:11PM]

Yes... totally lame game, even for it's time.

[Ledger @ Nov 21st 2007 5:34PM]

We have these on a major road not far from where I live. These are a huge improvment over the old 'cats eyes', but I always find them a distraction as they can be seen in the rear-view and side mirrors behind me, unlike the older ones.

[Andir3.0 @ Nov 21st 2007 6:12PM]

Oh, now that's a problem :( They should be set in the ground facing traffic only.

[Ian @ Nov 21st 2007 6:43PM]

well who says they arent facing traffic? because your going forward the ones that are facing the opposite side of traffic would be in you eyes from the mirrors... but they really should only shine on your left side...

[darkzero63 @ Nov 21st 2007 5:40PM]

Also makes a great landing strip for UFOs.

[gcww99 @ Nov 21st 2007 5:43PM]

In Ancaster , Ontario Canada there is a couple of km of highway with these LEDs in them.. kinda neat.

[Chad @ Nov 21st 2007 6:21PM]

Ya, it really makes a difference in the rain. Much better than the reflective painted lines.

[MARSHAK @ Nov 21st 2007 9:28PM]

Definatley makes a big difference (London, On here) they have them on some curvy bits of the 401 and I've seen them around hamilton. Wondered how they powered them tho. Couldn't really get out and have a look.

[whatsdamattau @ Nov 21st 2007 5:46PM]

Reminds me of that old black and white video game called Night Driver. All you saw on the screen were white dots that you had to follow. Some people were SOOOO good at that game.