BumpGuard's

What it does

BumpGuard's is a project of an automatic speed bump that activates or not depending on the speed of the driver traveling on the road. A ripple on the road is created when the driver's speed is excessive and remains normal in the other case.

Your inspiration

The number of vulnerable users in high-risk areas (bus stops, pedestrian crossings, 30 km/h zones) has been increasing over the years. Therefore, we aim to propose a solution to prevent the rise in accidents between vehicles and vulnerable users. Another motivation is to improve traffic flow in sensitive and high-risk areas. The generation of slowdowns in high-traffic zones, such as around schools during peak hours, has also driven us to innovate in order to reduce these inconveniences.

How it works

A speed camera is placed upstream of the system. The radar measures the speed of the approaching driver. If the speed is excessive, the speed bump is deployed, forcing the driver to slow down to cross it. If the speed is within the limit, the vehicle is not affected and can continue without having to reduce speed to pass the bump. A light system also warns pedestrians if the device is installed near a pedestrian crossing and a vehicle approaches at a dangerous speed. Additionally, a light signal informs the driver whether the speed bump is activated or not.

Design process

The idea emerged in October 2024, and we began brainstorming. In December, we registered for the Road Safety Innovation Challenge, where we were nominated among the 19 finalists. We also achieved 3rd place, which brought us credibility as well as funding to kickstart our project. Since March, we have been taking entrepreneurship courses to work on our project as part of our academic curriculum. We are currently focusing on administrative tasks, as well as the first mockups and representations of our idea. By June, we will be able to start creating our first functional prototype thanks to the funding obtained earlier. Our goal is to establish our company by 2026!

How it is different

Our innovation aims to limit this expansion and even reduce it. The goal is to replace speed bumps, as well as Berlin humps that wear out very quickly, and automatic traffic lights, which are often ignored. Our innovation also seeks to reward good drivers. If the driver respects the speed limit, they avoid wear and tear on their vehicle. It is also another way to enforce speed limits without penalizing the driver for minor infractions. Additionally, our solution is low-cost, meaning an innovation with the lowest possible cost. To achieve this, we are considering an installation that is temporary and modular, placed on top of the road rather than embedded in it. This significantly reduces installation costs, which can be prohibitively expensive for a municipality.

Future plans

Our current goal is to create a functional prototype in order to solidify our participation in various innovation competitions. We hope to later secure partners to facilitate more dynamic production and design of our project, leading to the first installation in a municipality in France! We also aim to continue progressing by joining our region's Pépites network, the PEEL, with the objective of developing our skills and receiving support for the next steps of our project.

Awards

We received a grant of €3,000 thanks to the Road Safety Innovation Challenge. Our innovation impressed the jury with its method of raising awareness among drivers about respecting speed limits without penalizing them.