A new ‘smart road stud’ from New Zealand-based Solar Bright can warn drivers of potentially icy roads, and will soon be able to alert traffic management centres and maintenance depots of treacherous conditions.
The solar-powered studs monitor humidity and temperature, and, if the temperature drops to 0˚C or below, blue LEDs in the stud start flashing to alert drivers to the possibility of ice. There are two versions – a direct replacement for the standard reflective stud, and a snow plough-resistant variant.
The company is trialling a communications system that will send a signal to traffic control centres when activated to inform maintenance personnel about where gritters need to be deployed. The snow-plough version will run for 700 hours on the battery pack, and the standard version 400 hours. From a full charge, the solar energy will ensure battery levels remain sufficiently charged, as the system ‘remains dormant’ for most of the year; the battery pack should last 5-7 years.
While yet to be type-approved, on-road trials of the technology are underway in New Zealand, and the system has been installed in car parks, airports, and other off-road facilities, worldwide.