You know those speed bumps that bother you so much while driving? The ones that force you to slow down abruptly, making you jump in your seat? Well, three students from the ITIS “A. Volta” in Alessandria have thought of transforming that annoyance into a precious resource: clean energy. Francesco, Thomas e Paul they have devised Hydrocult, a system that captures the kinetic energy of vehicles passing over speed bumps to produce hydrogen.
A simple and brilliant idea that has “swept” a competition in Italy and now aims to amaze the American judges of the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Let's see together what it is?
The Hydrocult project conquers America
The project (there he is) developed by the three fourth year high school students of class 4AC of the chemistry, materials and biotechnology course of theITIS “A. Volta” It is a brilliant intuition that solves two problems with a single solution. On the one hand, we have the kinetic energy of vehicles, usually wasted; on the other, the need to produce hydrogen in a sustainable way.
The Hydrocult system is based on the technology “press bump“, which uses the pressure exerted by moving cars on speed bumps to generate electricity. This energy powers an electrolyzer that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen produced is then stored and used to power fuel cells. The beauty of the project lies in its self-sufficiency: it requires no batteries and has zero environmental impact.
Think of the implications: every busy road could become a small energy production plant. Every speed bump, every speed bump, every raised pedestrian crossing could contribute to the ecological transition. I wonder if our public administrators are ready to understand the scope of this innovation.
Behind every success there is a community
Francis Petralia, Thomas De Santa e Paul Ples Vasile (you can see them in the cover photo) did not reach this goal alone. There is a support network that believed in them and provided the tools needed to transform a brilliant idea into the concrete project of Hydrocult.
Professor George Lagana he supervised the work with passion and dedication, creating what he himself defines as “a real laboratory of active and meaningful learning”.
The project was configured as a laboratory with a profound educational impact on various levels, not least the development of critical thinking and problem solving skills as well as communication, collaboration and time management skills.
Also supporting the initiative Syensqo, a leading company in the specialty chemicals sector, the Rotary Club of Alessandria which promoted the “Hydrogen Squared” competition, and local institutions. A synergy that demonstrates how collaboration between schools, businesses and the territory can generate excellence and innovation.
Across the ocean, towards new challenges
From 10 to 16 May 2025, the three young scientists will represent Italy at the Regeneron ISEF 2025 of Columbus, Ohio. It will not only be an opportunity to showcase the project, but also a unique training opportunity for them.
The head teacher, professor Maria Elena Dealessi, sees this achievement as a stimulus for all students:
The achievement of this important goal is intended to be a stimulus for our students, so that each one of them will strive to fly higher and higher and transform their passions into real intellectual potential.
I can't help but notice the paradox: we rightly celebrate young talents who leave for international competitions, but we do not create the conditions for them to stay and innovate here in Italy. We hope that this experience is not the antechamber of another story of brain drain, but the beginning of a path of innovation that can take root here.
I like to think that maybe, one day, looking at a car hydrogen refuel, we can proudly say that this technology was born in the classrooms of a provincial Italian school. And that those speed bumps that we hate so much have helped save the planet.
