Between February and May 2017, Belgium Campus students partnered with the Electrical Engineering students of PennState University, Pennsylvania, USA. The students from the two Universities were tasked with designing and creating a way to tilt and rotate Horizon Signal Technologies’ solar panels on portable traffic signal systems. This challenge was intended to help the panels receive the maximum solar energy without having to move the whole system.

During the research processes for this challenge, it was discovered that the existing panels only generated 30% to 40% of the possible 90% that can be obtained from solar energy. This particular shortcoming of the system presented an opportunity for the team of students.

Every challenge presented to Belgium Campus students is characteristically met with the aim to exceed the “client’s” expectations. Instead of developing a system that tilts and rotates as stipulated by Horizon Signal Technologies; the students were able to create a system that tracks the direct beams from the sun throughout the day. This solution allows the panel to generate optimum solar energy.

This addition to Horizon’s initial requirements for this project; allowed the team of students an opportunity to provide the company with an extra edge that sets them apart from similar corporations. The collaborative team of Belgium Campus and Pennstate students were awarded the second place for this innovation; which has been installed in Horizon Signal Technologies’ portable traffic systems.

One of Belgium Campus’s value propositions is “WHAT SETS US APART WILL SET YOU APART”. We are set apart by the multidisciplinary and multi-cultural relationships we form with international institutions. We are also distinguished by our ability to provide our students with a platform that familiarizes them to real-life industry situations.

At Belgium Campus, we work tirelessly to ensure that your learning experience is supported by relevant situations that ensure that your industry growth happens within the industry. This particular experiment with Horizon is an example of many student developments that begin as experiments but end up being viable solutions to existing industry challenges.