8 October 2016

Inhabitat: Poland unveils glowing bright blue bike lane that’s charged by the sun

Poland just unveiled an amazing new bike path that glows bright blue at night! The path near Lidzbark Warminski is illuminated by phosphor, a synthetic material that lights up after it’s charged by sunlight. Studio Roosegaarde’s Starry Night bike lane inspired TPA Instytut Badań Technicznych Sp. z o.o to create the glowing bike path. [...]

According to Next Nature Network, the luminophores, or “particles” in the bike lane material can emit a variety of colors, and the designers picked blue to best fit in with the surrounding landscape. They also researched the sustainability of the materials they utilized, and how to make the materials as cost effective as possible since the bike lane does cost more than traditional lanes.

While the Starry Night bike path provided inspiration, the technology utilized in the Polish bike lane is quite different from the Van Gogh-themed lane. Studio Roosegaarde’s bike lane drew on LEDs powered by a solar array and “light-collecting paint.” TPA Sp. z o.o.’s bike lane doesn’t require any power sources. The bike lane is still being tested, as it is not known how long the lane will last before it begins to wear out.

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