Never walk through darkened alleyways or sidestep through unsafe side streets again with this clever new app that emphasizes lighting over shortest routes when walking you from Point A to Point B. “Rudder makes it easy to travel wherever your nocturnal adventures take you by finding you the most well-lit path to your destination, be it your apartment, the library, or a nearby food hub. With Rudder, long walks down dark alleys and fake phone calls with your mom are a thing of the past.”

Currently in beta, Rudder uses API data and a built-in light meter (using the phone’s camera) to show users both the best-illuminated path to their destination as well as the amount of light that is actually shining along their route. Functional for those trying to stay safe, the app can also be used by those with impaired vision who want to stay somewhere they can see effectively. Eventually, the app may be expanded to include features that show others where you are, letting them make sure you are making it home safely.

Designer Hannah Dow started by looking at college campuses: “Young students often have a hard time getting their bearings. They might be new to that city, and have to try to find their way between all these different buildings. We’re hoping that students will use our app not just to help them get to know their environments, but to make smarter decisions about where they are walking, especially at night.”

The post Night Light: Walking Map App Takes You Along Lit Areas first appeared on Gajitz.

Connects the towns of Daejeon and Sejong (around 20 miles apart) a few hours from the capital city of Seoul, South Korea, this two-lane bike path provides weather protection for bicyclists (from sun and rain) but also powers the lights along the highway for both bikes and cars. A similar system could potentially even be tapped by rural houses in remote areas along more off-the-grid routes.

There are many possible critiques of this approach, not least of which involve concern for the safety of cyclists, but since many already bike illegally along the shoulders of high-speed freeways this at least seems like a step up for their well-being. You can see a good portion of the span in the drone-captured video below – watch that first and then decide whether it looks like a good place to ride.

With fewer inter-city intersections to contend with, bikers are able to use the route without too much interruption and exit it at periodic intervals. Whether this would be accepted somewhere like the United States, where pollution concerns and safety standards might pose hurdles, is another question – for now, it is live along one stretch in South Korea and if it goes over well may spread within or beyond that country.

The post 20 Miles of Solar Panels Give Bikers Shelter Along Highway first appeared on Gajitz.