Overview
A New Zealander originally from Otaki, near Wellington, has invented what could be the future in street lighting: a glow-in-the-dark footpaths.
After four years of developing the technology, London-based Hamish Scott has created Starpath, a footpath which lights up when the sun goes down.
The glow in the dark is installed by spraying a mix of ultraviolet particles onto a pathway and then sealing the surface, the path then absorbing the day's light and emiting a glow at night. Besides being a sustainable lighting source, the sealant also repels chewing gum and graffiti. It lasts at least 25 years and comes in an assortment of various colours.
"The idea came from watching council workers switching power for light poles on and off every day. I thought there has got to be a better way of doing this with no ongoing costs.So this is not only fixing pavements, but it is also lighting them up so they are more power conscious." Mr Scott said.
The first Starpath footpath has already been installed in Cambridge, England, where the Council are so stoked with the result that they want the entire city decked out with glowing pathways.
No word on when we'll be geting our own glow in the dark footpaths here in New Zealand.