What might the road signs of the future look like?

Our roads will be very different in the not so distant future, so the road signs which have stood the test of time thus far will need replaced. Here are the signs that might take their spots!

Electric Car Recharging Lane

With electric car sales on the rise, EV recharging lanes are bound to be embedded in our roads sooner than we think.

By wiring electromagnetic rails into the road, EV car batteries can be charged through a transfer of energy while the car is in full flow. 

You’ll no longer have to sit twiddling your thumbs waiting for your EV to charge - say hello to the open road. Unsurprisingly, Sweden was the first country to trial electrified rails in 2018, and plans were put in place to expand the project after a successful trial.

Phone Detection Cameras

There’s nothing more infuriating than seeing a fellow road user texting away behind the wheel of a car. The introduction of phone detection cameras has been well received across the globe, but they have yet to be introduced on British soil. 

A surge of these road signs across our roads would almost definitely have a psychological effect on drivers, encouraging them to stow away their phones for the duration of their journey.

Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Communication Zone

Have you ever imagined a world where our cars can communicate with each other?

V2V communication allows individual vehicles to wirelessly exchange information detailing features like their speed, location, and safety warnings. This sign indicates that your vehicle is entering a V2V communication zone where your car could make autonomous driving decisions if it has the appropriate software.

Emergency Charging Station

Nothing quite compares to the fear of driving your car on the motorway with a dwindling tank of fuel/and or sapping battery. 

Having an Emergency Charging Station on the hard shoulder of the motorway could be your shining light (not just because of it’s bright colour) in times of despair. 

No Parking - Delivery Drone Landing Zone

With food delivery drones already in full force across the globe, it’s not so preposterous to think that the majority of our parcels will be delivered by air in the not so distant future.

No longer will you have to wait 5 working days for parcels to crawl to your doorstep in delivery cars and vans. They will soar across land and water with ease!

Flying Taxi Rank

We’ve generally left flying cars to those who reside in Hollywood, but is it as fictional a concept as we think?

Since the Tesla Roadster has already been launched into Space, Elon Musk’s company would disagree. 

What better way to beat that rush hour traffic than a nice leisurely taxi drive through the sky. Did you ever think robot taxis would be cruising the streets fifty years ago?

Speed Detecting Road Ahead

An absolute nightmare for those in a rush, Speed Detecting Cameras are a pretty cool concept that may eradicate the current day speed camera in time to come.

Through sensory technology built into the roads, the speed of a vehicle will be detected through the transmission of energy. Not only will these signs encourage safer driving, they’ll also improve drivers’ timekeeping skills!

Heads-Up Display Notifications

Heads-Up Display Notifications would bring augmented reality to the cabin.

You’ll never miss a road sign or a safety alert ever again thanks to the bold notifications flashing on your windscreen.

Adding custom notifications like Google Maps and other entertainment features would mean that you’d never have to take your eyes off the road as it’s right there in front of you!

Teleportation Pad Ahead

If you thought the Flying Taxi concept was crazy, the Teleportation Pad is a different kettle of fish.

This road sign would banish the memories of cross-continent trips and cramping legs by transporting you and your vehicle to a destination of choice instantaneously. We realise this is a bit of a pipe dream, but we dare to dream. 

Autonomous Delivery Vehicles Only

We’ve all heard of Elon Musk’s plans to build underground tunnels below the carnage of LA streets, but have you seen Toyota’s plans to build a prototype future city with an underground delivery network for autonomous vehicles?

In Toyota’s plans, autonomous vehicles would connect to the buildings above through a sensor-based AI system that could track the truck’s location at all times.

So not only will you be receiving parcels by air, you may even be collecting your parcels via underground tunnels!

Conclusion

As the driving force of modern society, technology bears no limits. The automotive industry is at the centre of AI and electric power which is incredibly exciting for all of us.

Some of our design concepts may seem a little off the wall, but as we all know, the future works in mysterious ways. 

We’re certainly not the first to fantasise about these future automotive technologies and we certainly won’t be the last.