Maker Faire Yearbook 2023
Projects
Found 65 Results
SENTINEL
Faire: Rome
Maker: Feel-ING SRL
The SENTINEL project aims to promote wellness in the workplace providing an ad-hoc platform to monitor psychophysics pitfalls that could threaten workers’ and teams’ security. Being in the context of Internet of Things (IoT), it exploits wearable and comfortable devices (such as smartwatches, smart clothes or sports bands) and emotive artificial intelligence algorithms.
USE OF AI FOR THE MAPPING OF AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL XENBIOTIC CONTAMINATION USING TERRITORIAL MICRO-SAMPLING CARRIED OUT BY BEES
Faire: Rome
Maker: FOSAN ETS
Bees play a fundamental role in ecosystems and are present throughout the territory (at our latitude).
The bee carries out its collection and pollination activity in a radius ranging between 2 and 10 km, and is attracted only by plants and clean water, avoiding contact with any waste and/or waste material.
Every day, on average, a worker bee visits up to 7,000 flowers, fulfilling its very important role for the ecosystem.
Any xenobiotic contamination present in the materials collected by bees and derived products are representative of the contamination of the flora and surface waters of the area where the hive is located.
Fosan is starting the creation of a mapping of sentinel hives located throughout the country, in order to monitor the conditions of environmental risk from xenobiotic contamination.
The analytical data referring to the samples taken in the various "sentinel hives" are processed with AI techniques to identify level curves of xenobiotic contamination and related hotspots, and the presumed connections with human activities. With AI, the presumed correlations between the recorded anthropic activities and the levels of contamination of the hive products are identified.
Spireat un futuro sostenibile
Faire: Rome
Maker: algaria srl
the project we are presenting this year derives from the technological innovations presented in recent years and will lead to the request for a new patent, application presented in 2022. the project concerns the optimization of natural light on productions in open pond systems on the production of microalgae by improving the performance of production and returns on investment in technologies that are still not very mature, and which will also make it possible to improve the capture of CO2 which is already naturally efficient in microalgal production systems,
Polyter®: La rivoluzione verde dell’agricoltura – Conservazione dell’acqua, aumento della produttività e sostenibilità in un unico granulato innovativo!”
Faire: Rome
Maker: Agrifertile srl
Polyter® is a revolutionary agricultural project that addresses global challenges related to pollution, energy costs, food security, global warming, and water scarcity. Its main objective is water conservation, a precious and limited resource often wasted in large quantities, especially in the agricultural sector.
Polyter® is a unique fertilizing hydro-retainer that comes in the form of granules. These granules have an extraordinary capacity to absorb water from 160 to 300 times their dry weight, functioning as a water reservoir for plants. Moreover, Polyter® acts as a permanent dispenser of water and fertilizers to meet the plants' needs, providing them with everything they require to grow and develop optimally.
What makes Polyter® truly exceptional is its ability to lower soil temperature, reducing plant stress. It works as a kind of refrigerated dispenser, ensuring optimal root, vegetative, fruit, and flower development. Balanced fertilizers specifically designed to nourish root development are incorporated within Polyter®, which is an essential element for plant growth. Polyter® seamlessly integrates with the roots, becoming an integral and optimal part of the plant.
The versatility of Polyter® is one of its main strengths. It can be used in all types of crops and on all types of soil, allowing for broad applicability in both agricultural and horticultural contexts. Worldwide, agronomists, researchers, and inventors have been searching for hidden freshwater sources, but current methodologies fail to address the massive water waste in agriculture. Polyter® represents a breakthrough in this direction.
The benefits of Polyter® are manifold. Firstly, it enables water savings of at least 50% to 80%, ensuring more efficient water resource management. Additionally, it reduces fertilizer consumption by 30% to 50%, optimizing yield, quality, and production sustainability. Polyter® also acts as a growth activator, advancing cultivation cycles and increasing root mass by 3 to 5 times. This translates into higher agricultural productivity, ranging from 30% to 100% depending on the crop type.
Another important aspect is that Polyter® is completely biodegradable in the soil, with a degradation period ranging from 3 to 5 years, depending on the number of bacteria present in the soil. This further enhances Polyter®'s sustainability and environmental impact.
In addition to water savings and improved crop yields, Polyter® plays a fundamental role in soil regeneration. It acts as a synthetic "earthworm," aerating, stabilizing, and binding the soil. Furthermore, it contributes to humus restructuring and reduces losses from evaporation and leaching. This promotes soil health and preserves long-term fertility.
Safety is a top priority for Polyter®. It leaves no residues in the soil or in fruit and vegetable crops, as confirmed by accredited analyses. This aspect is crucial to ensure the quality and safety of food produced using Polyter®.
Participating in the Maker Faire Rome represents an exceptional opportunity for us to share the innovation of Polyter® with the public. Our project offers tangible solutions to water-related challenges, sustainable agriculture, and environmental preservation. We are proud to present an idea that combines technology with ecology, promoting more efficient and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
Thanks to our participation in the Maker Faire Rome, we can demonstrate how Polyter® works through an exhibition that includes a table to showcase our products, a display to illustrate Polyter® granules, a computer, and a screen to present case studies, photos, and videos showcasing the extraordinary results achieved. Additionally, we will have an informative panel to provide further details about the project.
We are excited to be part of such a stimulating event and to present Polyter® as an innovation that will transform sustainable agriculture. Our goal is to contribute to a future where water resources are used responsibly, and the environment is preserved.
FRANCHINO IL ROBOTTINO PER L’AGRICOLTURA
Faire: Rome
Maker: Fondazione ITS E.A.T. di Grosseto
It is known that in agriculture a healthy and protected environment is important for having a quality harvest.
Being able to intervene promptly and within tight deadlines is essential in agriculture to solve any problem encountered in the soil.
Hence the idea of creating a "robot insect" that is able to move autonomously on the ground and, thanks to the advanced technology with which it is equipped, will be able to analyze the technical parameters of the soil. This allows the farmer to have the results in real time (or in any case a few minutes after the analysis) without having to wait days (as in the current laboratory analysis method).
Dalla ricerca all’impresa: Flying Demon e radioattività
Faire: Rome
Maker: Flying Demon s.r.l.
Flying Demon s.r.l. was founded by young researchers in physics as a university spinoff after winning the #ETEC-Second edition contest, proposed by ENAC to fund innovative startups. The company's core business is radiometric safety, which is ensured through rapid, non-invasive drone surveys of large areas, including hard-to-reach zones. To achieve this goal, the company is developing technologically advanced, compact, and portable detectors for in-situ and real-time measurements.
Saving Plants thanks to Nanotechnology
Faire: Rome
Maker: Università degli Studi della Tuscia
Nanotechnology could help us in giving a new life to agro-food waste by converting the main components of lignocellulosic biomasses in nanoscaled products. In comparison to their bulk counterpart, organic nanomaterials, such as cellulose nanocrystals, lignin nanocapsules, chitosan nanoparticles, exhibit a whole range of different biochemical properties, which can be exploited to develop innovative nano-agrochemicals or to deliver active principles useful to control crop diseases, such as fungal and bacterial plant pathogens.
Sport-graf
Faire: Rome
Maker: IIS Edoardo Amaldi Roma
Sport-graf is a device capable of detecting the electrical activity of the muscle through the application of three electrodes on the skin, treated with the Arduino UNO board and a wave amplifier.
The device consists of a breadboard housing the components of the power supply and amplification circuits. The amplifier is powered, through a dual generator, by a lithium ion battery.
The chip amplifies the signal (INA128P) coming from the three electrodes and supplies an analog output read by the analog port of the Arduino, which, thanks to the serial plotter, shows a graph with the trend of the contraction and distension activity of the muscle fibres.
OfficineApogeo – Energia: Sole, Vento, Idrogeno
Faire: Rome
Maker: OfficineApogeo srls
xperiments and practical activities for laboratory teaching to educate students and technicians about renewable energies, both with regard to individual components (characteristics and behaviour of photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, fuel cells) and as integrated systems in a real-life, albeit scaled, configuration.
MyzharBot v5 – A fully 3D printed intelligent ground robot
Faire: Rome
Maker: Pizza Robotics
MyzharBot v5 represents the latest version of my autonomous robot, showing significant progress. This version boasts a fully 3D printed structure, combining aesthetics with functionality. Equipped with a formidable NVIDIA Jetson embedded PC, it harnesses the power of AI processing to extract intricate 3D details from its surroundings thanks to a state-of-the-art Stereolabs 3D camera. This data allows the robot to make decisions about its route and determine the optimal speed, ensuring maximum safety for those around it. By intelligently analyzing what kind of obstacles it "sees", MyzharBot v5 dynamically adjusts its trajectory, making it a versatile and reliable companion in different scenarios.
MICRO4BIO: le biotecnologie microbiche per un futuro sostenibile.
Faire: Rome
Maker: Isabella Pisano
The MICRO4BIO project aims to promote the direct impact of biotechnology on people's lives, representing an element of great interest, not only scientific but also social, on which to insert wide-ranging and deeply topical dissemination and cultural actions. In MICRO4BIO team there are representatives of the Italian Biotechnologists Association, researchers from the University of Bari and young startuppers who promote the culture of sustainability through microbial biotechnologies that exploit microorganisms to develop new processes and new products by a circular bioeconomy approach.
Yeastime s.r.l. Startup Innovativa
Faire: Rome
Maker: Yeastime s.r.l. startup innovativa
Yeastime Start Up S.r.l. develops a fermentation 2.0 process using an innovative stimulation cycle applied dynamically to bioreactors. The technology is equipped with sensors aimed at real-time monitoring and integrated with a mechanical wave generator, which can optimize the process by reducing the overall duration by 30 percent. The product, obtained through this technology, will result from an optimal interaction between the target microorganism and the basic ingredients.
Rome Technopole
Faire: Rome
Maker: Rome Technopole Spoke 5 CNR
Rome Technopole is an ecosystem comprising universities, research institutions, industries, and administrative bodies in Regione Lazio. Its core mission is innovation and sustainable development. Through activities and educational materials, it fosters knowledge dissemination and promote a culture of innovation. A series of examples will be presented during the Fair, including experiences on light properties based on laser-cut plexiglass, DNA and RNA models illustrating protein synthesis, games exploring quantum mechanics and other scientific principles.
Smart Sensor for Testing Agrifood Quality & Safety at the Point of Care
Faire: Rome
Maker: Sapienza Università di Roma
The Device we present is a Lab-on-Chip. It consists of a system on glass (SoG), where are integrated photosensors for light detection, a thermalization system and sensors for controlling the temperature. The SoG is coupled with a microfluidic system where biological assay occurs and allows the detection of mycotoxins and food pathogens. The system is contained in a portable metallic box.
The assays consist of specific recognition elements for the detection of the mycotoxins, which identify the target (mycotoxins) and emits a luminescent signal when the target is present. The luminescent signal is then detected by the photosensors. In the case of food pathogens, the system is able to perform a molecular test: identify a specific DNA sequence of the pathogens, which is amplified and detected by the photosensors following the luminescent signal generated during the DNA amplification. The thermalization system ensures the reactions occurring at the requested temperature.
Chewing: sei come mangi
Faire: Rome
Maker: Alessia Riente
Chewing is a process of vital importance for our well-being and to ensure proper digestion of food. In addition to its primary function of breaking down food into smaller pieces, chewing plays a crucial role in promoting optimal assimilation of nutrients and promoting the overall health of our digestive system. From the beginning of the digestive process, chewing plays a significant role in preparing food for the subsequent action of digestive enzymes present in the gastrointestinal tract. By properly chewing food, we break it down into smaller particles, allowing digestive enzymes to act more efficiently on them. Furthermore, chewing favors the interaction of food with saliva, which contains enzymes capable of starting the decomposition of carbohydrates. This process facilitates the digestion and absorption of nutrients as they pass through the digestive system.
Slow and thorough chewing allows our brain to receive satiety signals in a timely manner, thus reducing the risk of overeating. This is particularly important for those who wish to manage their body weight or adopt healthier eating habits.
Several factors can influence the functionality of chewing. For example, some conditions such as temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD) or dental malocclusions can impair the ability to chew properly. Additionally, habits such as smoking can have a negative impact on oral health and masticatory function.
In the scientific literature, several techniques have been described that use electromyography (EMG) technology to analyze mastication. However, these techniques are mainly aimed at detecting the presence of the masticatory act or at classifying foods based on the electrical signals generated during chewing. To date, there is no electromyographic device that is able to provide a complete assessment of an individual's chewing performance, in order to define a personalized chewing profile that allows the user to become aware of their chewing habits and, possibly, make of the changes.
In this context, "Chewing" is presented, an innovative device that represents a solution for evaluating chewing style in a non-invasive way. Chewing analyzes chewing considering different aspects of the process, such as the time dedicated to chewing, the number of chews performed, the energy used, the time of a chewing cycle and the pace of work. Thanks to this detailed analysis, it is possible to evaluate the chewing process itself, taking various aspects into consideration, and to define chewing profiles.
Hi Sound Compact – l’audio perfetto per i tuoi video
Faire: Rome
Maker: Dodotronic di Ivano Pelicella
There are a lot of wildlife photographers and videographers, all of whom had extremely costly equipment and lenses, but none of them could match a suitable microphone.
Shotgun microphones are designed to be extremely directional in order to block out sound coming from the sides; however, they do not perform as well as parabolic microphones in terms of amplification and background noise.
Each naturalist recorder carries their own recorder and a parabola in opposite hands. There will be too much equipment to carry while making a movie, and managing a big parabola is typically difficult.
The goal was to design something that would free up your hands so that you could concentrate and begin your film.
Hi-Sound Compact aims to record the inaudible sounds of animals in stunning quality and with little noise.
Aqua&Terra: save the water to save the Earth
Faire: Rome
Maker: ITTS Alessandro Volta di Tivoli - Guidonia
The project aims to optimise water use through the integration of local and remote data. Soil moisture information is used together with weather forecasts to accurately determine when is the best time to irrigate. The system measures the humidity of the soil through the use of a sensor and decides whether to activate irrigation on the basis of the values relating to the last few hours and the weather forecast data, taken through the invocation of web services. The acquired data is sent to a cloud platform for monitoring humidity levels and sensors.
Prototype for Glasses-free Live 3D Vision
Faire: Rome
Maker: ICTP Scientific FabLab
We present our "altiro3D" prototype for a glasses-free real-time 3D vision based on a new C++ library developed to generate light-fields (or Native) 3D images or videos from a single webcam and in real-time, plus the use of a free-view LCD display such as the slanted lenticular device: "Looking Glass Portrait". Details at: https://github.com/canessae/altiro3D
Lifeshell, una soluzione per i terremoti
Faire: Rome
Maker: CNR IBE - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Istituto per la Bioeconomia
LifeShell is a wooden desk capable of resisting building collapses, providing a safe shell.
It is a safe shelter equipped with life-saving accessories, engineered for schools, houses, enterprises.
It is ecological, economic, recyclable and released under the creative commons license.
In 2023 – 2025 a funded project will develop the aesthetic and ergonomic design, we will test the desk impact resistance, we will gather a collection of hints from students on their ideal desk, we will keep sharing the project for free and without patents with a bottom-up and citizen science approach.
Agrobot
Faire: Rome
Maker: ITI Galileo Ferraris Scampia Napoli
Our project was designed to significantly reduce the pollution caused by the spraying of chemical products such as copper and sulfur in the vineyards. Copper is a heavy metal and for this reason toxic to soils while sulfur causes serious irritation to the respiratory system and to the skin of men. These two pollutants are very harmful to our ecosystem and the environment. Unfortunately, these products are widely used in agriculture because they are used to fight diseases such as Peronospora and Oidium. These fungi affect all agricultural cultures but in particular the excellent vine of Made Italy for the production of quality wine.
Università e Innovazione: Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari in Sapienza
Faire: Rome
Maker: Scienze e tecnologie Alimentari - Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza
An emerging sector of scientific research in Sapienza is increasingly oriented towards the development of the Agro-Food sector and in particular of the topics related to biotechnology (microbiology and technologies), food quality and safety, food chemistry and nutrition, management and the sustainability of agri-food supply chains. Teams of researchers are involved in several projects, financed at different levels by the European Community, by the MIUR and MASAF Ministries, by the Regions and directly by industry, for developing applied research and technology transfer.
SKID – Skin care detector
Faire: Rome
Maker: Cassandra Serantoni
Skin is the organ responsible for protecting us from external agents (i.e. radiation or pollutants) whose state of health can be maintained using specific cosmetics.
Characterizing the skin biotype is complex and expensive, and therefore the type and effectiveness of cosmetics are individually evaluated empirically.
We have therefore created SKID, a tool which, by analyzing the light emitted by the skin, is able to detect quantitatively, quickly, and at low cost its functional characteristics, identifying the skin biotype and following its modifications over time.
Life MUssel Sustainable production (re)cyCLES – Life MUSCLES
Faire: Rome
Maker: Università di Siena
The LIFE MUSCLES project aims at reducing the impact linked to the use of Polypropylene (PP) socks for mussel farming, promoting and creating an more sustainable mussel production value chain that minimise the dispersion of PP socks in the marine environment, through:
• the transition to a circular economic model within the mussel production sector in the targeted areas through the recovery and recycling of polypropylene (PP) socks used for mussels farming by providing the italian mussel farmers with a mobile Recycling Plant (300 kg/day) able to operate directly at mussel farms facilities;
• the increase in sustainability of the mussel farming sector in the targeted areas by promoting both the replacement of PP socks with ones made of biodegradable and compostable biopolymer (BP) and validating the feasibility of mechanical and organic recycling of biopolymeric (BP) socks.
• the awareness raising of key different target groups and stakeholders such as farmers, distributors and consumers, on the sustainability of mussel production sector;
• Definition and transfer of good practices to reduce the dispersion/abandonment of PP socks at sea.
Circular Farm la fattoria urbana circolare
Faire: Rome
Maker: Antonio Di Giovanni
Circular Farm is an urban farm, inspired by the circularity of nature.
In our circular agricultural process we produce Oyster mushrooms reusing the coffee grounds from the bars and other product like medical mushrooms, micro-vegetable, flours, eggs, worm humus and compost.
Our process is innovative, because we use a vertical systems of cultivation in the shipping containers, out of land.
In addition to the production of mushrooms, our company produces micro-vegetables and vegetables from hydroponic cultivation systems (aquaponic system) and with a synergic garden.
From the mushrooms substrate, we make a compost pile and thanks of the aerobic fermentation we produce hot water that we use in winter time for heating our greenhouse.
In our Circular Farm space we organize educational tour for schoosl, experience, workshops and training for the people that want to replicate our circular system.
