Downers Grove South Students Win Engineering Competition

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — A "speed bump prototype" recently earned three Downers Grove South students first place in the 2021 Chicago Regional Engineering Design and Development Showcase. Seniors Dillon Kohls, Aaron Marrs and Krishna Patel defeated 23 teams to win the competition, which was judged remotely by a panel of engineers.

Dillon, Aaron and Krishna's portable speed bump prototype uses laser sensors to read the speed of approaching cars. When cars exceed 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, a camera snaps a photo of its license plate.

The portable speed bump aims to deter speeding and other traffic offenses.

"I’m incredibly proud of Dillon, Aaron and Krishna for being recognized for their hard work and dedication to their engineering project," Downers South High School Career and Technical Education teacher Brandy Palmerin said in a news release.

"I was impressed by their passion for this project from conception to completion," Palmerin added.

The students spent a year researching, developing and testing the speed bump as part of Project Lead the Way, a non-profit organization that encourages students to solve real-world problems through biomedical science, computer science and engineering.