A project on flood and landslide
warning by a group of Hoa Binh students from the Na Phon primary and secondary
school wins the second prize at an exchange event of programming clubs
nationwide hosted by the Dariu Foundation.
According to ninth grader Ha Thi Thu Huong, a member of the group, the transport system in mountainous Na Phon commune include special bridges crossing streams, which are often hit by unexpected floods during the rainy season.
Unexpected floods and landslides have caused accidents and damage to both people and their vehicles, she said.
"From the fact and with support from our teachers, we came up with the idea and worked to translate it into reality in hope of reducing damage caused by natural disasters in mountainous areas,” Huong noted.
When it is raining hard, a flood is quick to form on a stream. It is also very difficult to predict when the flood hits the bridge crossing it. Therefore, the pupils built a flood warning model, which places a flow sensor about 2km away from these risky bridges.
Ha Manh Hung, another member of the group, said the sensor will send signals to a microprocessor that turns on lights of different colours – green for normal passing, yellow for restricted passing, and red for stop. When the red light is turned on, a bar will be pulled down. The system uses solar energy and rechargeable batteries.
Based on the same principles, the group studied to put sensors at areas with a high risk of landslides. When the danger is near, the system will send signals via lights or loudspeakers to alert nearby residents.
During their implementation of the project, the pupils faced myriad difficulties. They are all from an ethnic minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. Owning no computers at home, they had to carry out all of their researches at school. They also encountered challenges purchasing needed equipment.
Their success despite difficulties will contribute to encouraging local students, particularly ethnic minorities, to engage in scientific and technological research and innovation./.
Powered by ICT GROUP.
