
Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit, China —
In China, a rail bus that "glides" across the street underwent a test drive in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, in 2017.

Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit, China —
Developed by Beijing-based rail transit equipment manufacturer CCRC, it navigates the road using motion sensors instead of a traditional track. It also features rubber wheels.

Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit, China —
With a maximum speed of 70 kilometers (43 miles) per hour, it holds more than 500 passengers, and was designed to help to lessen heavy traffic in the city -- which has a population of some 3.7 million people. Developers plan for it to be in use in 2018.

Glowing Lines, Netherlands —
Designed by Rotterdam firm Studio Roosegaarde, Glowing Lines operates like the glow-in-the-dark stars children used to stick to their ceilings.

Glowing Lines, Netherlands —
Panels on the smart highway absorb solar power during the day, enabling it to glow for eight hours at night.

Glowing Lines, Netherlands —
Designed by Studio Roosegaarde, the project was a joint technological development with Dutch civil engineering company Heijmans. It was installed in 2014 on a 16,000 feet (4,570 meter) stretch of highway 60 miles outside of the Netherlands' capital of Amsterdam.

Van Gogh Path, Netherlands —
The Van Gogh Path, also by Studio Roosegaarde, is a 600-meter bike path lit by a coating on the road surface that gathers sunlight and emits energy in the evening.

Van Gogh Path, Netherlands —
It's inspired by legendary Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night".

Van Gogh Path, Netherlands —
It has been in use in Eindhoven -- also known as Netherlands' "City of Light" -- since 2014.

Midtown in Motion, New York City, United States —
New York City's Department of Transportation has been running Midtown in Motion since 2011. The $1.6 million initiative aims to ease traffic in Midtown Manhattan by installing a series of traffic cameras and sensors, which are managed by engineers who can alter signal patterns to alleviate congestion based on the information collected by this technology.

Solar Roadways —
A concept by Idaho inventors Scott and Julie Brusaw, this design calls for traditional petroleum-based asphalt highways to be replaced with a system of structurally engineered solar panels.

Solar Roadways —
These would act as a massive energy generator that could feed the grid during daytime. They would also recharge electric vehicles while moving, thus helping to reduce greenhouse emissions drastically.