California High School Team Wins Progressive Dashboard-Design Contest
By Scott Doggett June 16, 2010
A California high school team won the Energy Department-sponsored Progressive Automotive X Prize Education Program contest by submitting a dashboard design that most encourages people to adopt fuel-efficient driving habits.
EDV's Ridesharing center console.
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The three-member team from Dos Pueblos High School of Goleta beat out two other semifinalist high-school groups to win the right to be sent to Detroit in July to pitch their designs to automobile industry executives and meet the teams competing for the larger Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize. More than 10,000 people submitted online votes for the so-called "Dash+" contest (designs from all three teams can be seen here).
Dos Pueblos' EDV Technologies team ("El Diseno Verde," or "the green design"), which includes students Jake Moghtader, Nikhil Shinday and Kelvin Noronha as well as mentor Kevin Schantz, proposed an energy-conserving organic light emitting diode dashboard with wireless technology that allows drivers to communicate with each other about traffic conditions or bad roads.
The dashboard also includes a system that grants points for driving with a lighter touch and lets friends compare results.
Dos Pueblos beat out semifinalists Harker School of San Jose, Calif., and the Henry Ford Academy of Dearborn, Mich. That said, the three teams, which started work on their projects at the beginning of February and submitted their work to Dash+ judges March 1, will split $10,000 donated by Progressive Insurance and Cisco Systems Inc.
The three schools' teams are among a growing group of developing experts-in-training in the alternative-fuels field as automakers and car-component manufacturers address tightening emissions and gas-mileage standards in the U.S. and overseas.
"EDV is an inspiration and proof that our nation's students will pave the way for innovation and drive change across industries," Mitch Aiken, director of education of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE, said in a statement.
Danny King, Contributor
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