Ever driven over a pothole and wished the local council would fix it? Or that you could at least warn the driver behind you about it?
Three Otago Boys' High School pupils have the answer.
Sam Gabbusch, Ed Haslam and Sam Brosnan took part in the Otago Innovation Challenge, in Dunedin, yesterday with their "road user integrated network".
The network involved installing a series of sensors, a GPS system and a "heads up display" into vehicles which would not only monitor but record their journeys, they said.
The sensors would read road temperature to alert the driver of ice, and monitor road conditions to warn of objects such as potholes.
The data would be sent, via satellite, to a database which could act not only as a "black box" if the car crashed, but also would beam the information to the next car travelling on the same road to inform its driver.
Councils could also access the database to improve the condition of roads.
The trio were among 14 other teams of three to take part in the challenge, held at the University of Otago, and won the best presentation award.
Event co-ordinator Dr Melanie Middlemiss said the challenge aimed to introduce years 12 and 13 pupils to emerging technologies being researched in the information science department including mobile computing, interactive multimedia, design by evolution, telerobotics and data mining.
Teams were challenged to identify a problem which could be solved, or business concept which could be developed, with the use of the technologies, before a judging session.
"Students find the event a lot of fun, as it tests their imagination, business knowledge and presentation skills," Dr Middlemiss said.
The overall winners were Matt Madigan, Reuben Formston and Alex Poulin, of Bayfield High School. Lawrence Area School pupils Tom Blackmore, Matt Ankerson and Terry Batt won the best understanding of technology award and St Hilda's Collegiate School pupils Stephanie Patchett, Millie Alexander, and Frances Fulton won the audience choice award.
