Highway 155 in Norway is the site of a very interesting experiment being conducted by the Norwegian government. 220 light poles have been fitting with technology that will allow them to automatically dim at night when no cars are on the nearby road. This 9.5 km stretch of highway is now one of the first smart highways in the world.

Bjørn Nyland was so fascinated by the project that he ventured down to this little stretch of highway near the Norwegian town of Hole to shoot a video of the street lights in action, and it turns out to be fascinating.

Each of the auto dimming light poles is fitted with radar and LED lights. When they sense that there is no traffic around they dim to 20%. When traffic is present they switch back to 100% brightness, they’re even smart enough to communicate with each other allowing them to switch up well in advance of the oncoming traffic. This one small change is estimated to save 2,100 kWH of power a week, enough to pay for the extra technology in 4.5 years.

Presented for your viewing pleasure is Bjørn’s video documenting the lights in action. An interesting perspective of the smart street lights of the future in action today. Sit back relax and prepare to drive down the highway of the future today.

Reference: Bjørn Nyland