Pisay students’ outstanding creative research vows to end traffic problems

This is a press release from the Department of Science and Technology:

The recently concluded Regional Invention Contest and Exhibit (RICE) in CARAGA Region hailed a Philippine Science High School (PSHS) – Caraga Region Campus students, Hannah Marielle G. Tecson, Angelo Mari C. Montero and Miko C. Nunez’s project “Feasibility of an Adaptive Timer System in Traffic Management Utilizing Induction Loops”as the Outstanding Creative Research (Sibol Award) for High School.

The researchers were Grade 12 students whose project topped among 43 contenders for the Outstanding Creative Research category during the RICE in CARAGA held on September 3-5, 2019, at Bayugan City Hall, Agusandel Sur.

The research is a proposed system for a more efficient method of managing traffic in intersections which uses an algorithm that works by counting the number of cars in traffic and determining the appropriate amount of time for the traffic lights to enter the green light phase. 

Ms. Tecson explained that the system is able to get the number of cars by getting data from sensors that do the vehicle detection.

Stucked in traffic for hours in congested areas that the group have travelled to encouraged them tocome up with a solution to speed up the traffic flow.

“The research benefits everyone living in cities since vehicular travel is an integral part of the people’s day-to-day lives,” said Tecson. 

“The logic of the system could be implemented to traffic controllers and, if installed alongside the sensors, traffic flow could speed up significantly”, she added.

The winning research bagged P20,000 and is now a qualified entry to the National Invention Contest and Exhibit (NICE) – Outstanding Creative Research Category which is set to be held in 2020.

RICE is one of the programs being implemented by the Technology Application and Promotion Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI) which is conducted all throughout the regions nationwide to recognize the indispensability of the Filipino inventors for national economic development.

The five categories of the RICE/NICE which give due recognition to the best efforts of the inventors and researchers including the students’ are the following:

• Tuklas Award – Tuklas is a Filipino word for discovery and reflects the innovativeness and intrinsic capability of the awardee to develop something useful from otherwise commonplace knowledge/resources. The award is therefore, given to the most outstanding invention with demonstrable qualities and potential for widespread commercialization/ dissemination.
• Outstanding Utility Model – award given to outstanding new model of implement or tools or of any industrial product which does not possess the quality of an invention, but which is of practical utility by reason of its form, configuration, construction or composition.
• Outstanding Industrial Design – award given to outstanding new, original and ornamental design for an article of manufacture.
• Likha Award – Likha signifies creativity, it reflects the potential of an R&D activity developed into a relevant, commercially viable technology which may generate impact and benefits to adoptors
• Sibol Award – Sibol means a young shoot, a growth reflecting youthfulness and hope for something fruitful and useful. This award is given to the most outstanding invention/creative research for both high school and college student. This is in recognition of the need and potential to tap the young minds to contribute significantly to S&T development and inventiveness in the country. 

– Rappler.com