What is the working principle of road stud light?

Road studs, also known as raised road markers, are small reflectors placed on the road that can provide additional light and identification for drivers. Especially at night or in bad weather with insufficient light, road stud light are essential safety facilities on the road. The light they emit can effectively reduce the occurrence of traffic accidents and ensure the driving safety of drivers. At present, there are two main types of road stud light commonly used on the road: reflective road studs and solar road studs. Next, we will introduce you to the working principles of reflective road studs and solar road studs.

The working principle of reflective road studs is based on their retro-reflective properties. The surface of reflective road studs is designed with special reflective materials, such as reflective sheets, reflective beads, and reflective films. When the headlights of vehicles or other light sources shine on the road studs, the light will be reflected back by the surface of the road studs to form a bright beam, which clearly outlines the lane edge position and lane direction. This reflection effect is particularly important in poor visibility conditions such as at night, rain, and fog because it can effectively improve the visibility of the road and help drivers better identify the road contours and edges, thereby avoiding traffic accidents caused by unclear vision.

In addition, the installation position and method of reflective road makers also have an important impact on their working principles. Generally speaking, reflective road studs are installed in the middle or edge of the road markings, and their raised design reminds drivers to pay attention to the lane position and edge. At the same time, according to different road conditions and traffic needs, the material, shape, and size of reflective road studs will also be different to adapt to different application scenarios and working environments. However, reflective road studs mainly rely on external light sources. Suppose it is in rainy and foggy weather. In that case, the external light source projected onto the reflective material is limited, which will also have a certain impact on the luminous effect of the reflective road makers.

Solar road studs are a new type of road stud that has emerged in recent years with the continuous development of solar energy technology. It has the passive reflective performance of reflective road studs and adds the function of active luminescence. Solar led road studs usually comprise retroreflective materials, shells, solar panels, LEDs, and control devices. They can actively emit light at night or in bad weather conditions to provide drivers with clearer road instructions.

The working principle of solar road studs is that solar panels absorb sunlight during the day, convert solar energy into electrical energy, and store it in energy storage devices (batteries or capacitors). At night, the electrical energy in the energy storage device is automatically converted into light energy, and the LED emits bright light to outline the road contour and guide the driver’s sight. This active lighting method can not only penetrate the rain and fog at night but also clearly outline the road contour at the bend, effectively eliminating safety hazards.

The luminous brightness of solar led road studs is much higher than that of reflective road studs. The reflective brightness of ordinary reflective road studs is only 300-400 MCD, while the luminous brightness of solar road studs can reach more than 2000 MCD. In addition, solar road studs can also flash at a certain frequency, using the sensitivity of human vision to changes to provide a stronger dynamic warning effect. This active lighting and dynamic warning method enables solar led road studs to play a more significant role in rainy and foggy weather and bends.

In general, reflective road studs provide drivers with basic road instructions at night or in dimly lit environments with their simple, reliable, and low-cost characteristics. Solar road studs, with their high-tech active lighting and dynamic warning functions, provide drivers with clearer and safer road guidance in rainy and foggy weather and bends. With the continuous advancement and application promotion of solar energy technology, solar road studs are expected to become an important development direction in future transportation facilities.