Outreach
We believe that empathy can fuel innovation. Throughout our journey, we've always strived to learn from our community and give back to them whenever possible.
Civic Engagement
As part of our civic outreach, our team rallied voter support for the City of Santa Clara’s Measure I, a $400 million infrastructure bond with $41 million allocated to traffic and transportation improvements. Through this effort, we gained firsthand insight into municipal priorities, infrastructure equity, and the growing needs for solutions that balance public safety with environmental responsibility. Our advocacy was recognized by Mayor Lisa Gillmor, underscoring the value of youth-led engagement in shaping sustainable infrastructure decisions.
Customer Validation
Beyond civic advocacy, we consulted with the Santa Clara Traffic Engineering Department to better understand traffic signal reliability, power constraints, and maintenance challenges. The insights we received supported our off-grid, intelligent battery management strategy, demonstrating the advantages of minimizing dependence on lead-acid battery backup systems while enabling uninterrupted, remotely managed operation.
Field Validation
We'd similarly met with San Jose' Fire Station 14 to ask about how to improve our product. They advised us to use technology similar to the Opticom's connecting fire trucks and traffic lights for more safety, stemming from experiences of their friends being seriously injured due to traffic light failures during emergencies. "First responders are not mainly injured from engaging in the emergencies themselves. They are injured more from getting to and from the call location."