Maker Faire Yearbook 2023
Projects
Found 65 Results
Il pendolo e la meraviglia
Faire: Rome
Maker: Antonio Ianiero
Since 2012 I have built various machines that shares the common feature to make unexpected and surprising things.
For the Maker Faire Rome events of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022, I created an exhibition in my booth showcasing some machines that I called "Thaumachines." The purpose was to popularize the beauty of Science and to inspire visitors to explore the same boundaries between Science, perception, and Art that I once explored myself.
Many of those machines were based on the careful and coordinated use of oscillatory motions.
- Double pendulum
- Multipendulum
- Harmonograph
- Laser sound visualizer
This year, I will present an expanded version of the exhibition by transforming the harmonograph into a mechanical oscilloscope and creating a three-dimensional laser visualization of sounds.
Water Sampling Drone, campionamento delle acque.
Faire: Rome
Maker: IIS Marconi Galletti Einaudi Domodossola
Water Sampling Drone is an automatic surface water sampling system based on the STM32 microcontroller. The improved collection system allows you to manage multiple samplings during a single mission and thanks to a multi-parameter platform (pH, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, Conductivity, solid state detector for muon measurement) data on the quality of the water for each withdrawal point. The collected water is then stored in special test tubes and can be used for subsequent chemical-biological analyzes in the laboratory. The system is equipped with a GPS independent from the drone control one to allow the replicability of the sampling and the georeferencing of the data: the coordinates and the acquired data are memorized on a micro-SD and simultaneously sent via radio to a computer on the ground.
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.
Progetto – E-Tyres
Faire: Rome
Maker: Polo Scolastico Superiore "Volta" - Castel San Giovanni - Piacenza
Use of piezoelectric sensors on tyres, rims, or on the road or rail to generate electricity during movement in a completely green and free way without drawing energy from the vehicle. Energy harvesting application with great potential. Working prototype with sensors applied to the rear wheel of a bicycle available to the public for demonstration.
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.
ESA EO TOUCH TABLE and EOP
Faire: Rome
Maker: European Space Agency-ESRIN
Discovering the latest and most significant images of our planet, obtained thanks to ESA's Earth Observation satellites
PlanetART
Faire: Rome
Maker: FVA - New Media Research
PlanetART, organized by the EU-funded projects GenB and BlueMissionMed, raises public awareness on the green and blue circular economy. The stand is divided into:
1) Green economy: playful program to involve young people on the bioeconomy. Games, workshops, escape rooms, reading of the book "What’s Bioeconomy?" and exhibition of bio-based products. The stand hosts artworks by artists who use residues and biomaterials.
2) Blue economy: the public can interact with the cardboard wall "Our blue treasure", to express their connection with the sea and discover how to mitigate the pollution of seas and waters. The stand features artworks by artists who use recycled plastic collected from the sea.
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.
Making fun with symmetries
Faire: Rome
Maker: Alessandro Stroppa
The activities were designed for primary school students in order to get insights into geometrical concepts by exploiting simple arguments and specific games dealing with symmetries. In particular, “dynamical models”, softwares, and mirrors were employed. During the event, concepts have been progressively explained through the manipulation of materials, observation and subsequent mental and verbal reworking. Complex concepts like phase transitions or symmetry breaking phenomena in material science are explained using geometric figures. Connections between symmetries and geometrical properties of a figure are explained, in parallel to examples in material science, in a perspective of a multidsciplinary project.
LibraryMed
Faire: Rome
Maker: Epitomea
Clients & problems:
Healthcare professionals and students. Busy schedules, statistical illiteracy and information saturation make it difficult for them to stay up-to-date. “In the biomedical field alone, more than 1 million articles pour into the PubMed database each year […]” (Nature). The problems are known, but hard to quantify in net terms. Our clients difficulties lies in that periodic and in-depth professional updating activity is a work in itself. Sacrificing patient hours for studying is sometimes not possible. Among the most unpleasant consequences, the discovery that a patient has been treated with an outdated therapy. Such an eventuality would be preferable not to be turned turn into a "necessary evil", a painful trade-off between the number of patients who require treatment and the quality of the treatment that can be administered. In addition to the suffering on a strictly human level, another problem that is becoming more acute is that of lawsuits for "malpractice". Growing, they discourage doctors from riskier practices for patients, as well as young people from embarking on a medical career.
Our solution:
it can be described as a search engine which, because of an AI algorithm, is able to:
- Search for scientific articles related to a specific query and summarize their content;
- Classify the results on the basis of various parameters (e.g. methodological value, citations, impact factor), assigning them a qualitative value, thus identifying the most solid research;
- Aggregate the results based on the aforementioned parameters;
- Produce an output that can be consulted quickly, listing the sources on which the analysis was conducted to draw up an effective overview on which to plan an update;
- Assisting researcher in scientific writing & data production;
- Automatic meta-analysis.
Innovation:
First, we will move away from the DSS (Decision Support System) approach of our main competitor, Uptodate.com, to embrace a full AI paradigm. Then, we will find a niche in the scientific publication sector, by creating a set of tool for many scientists willing to publish high quality research. By doing to, our analytic efficiency will further increase. We already have a registered trademark and an industrial patent.
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.
PARKINSON DETECTOR: intelligenza artificiale e medicina
Faire: Rome
Maker: I.T.I. OMAR Novara
Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are increasingly being used in medical diagnosis. Parkinson Detector is an Artificial Intelligence system capable of recognizing the typical motor impairments of Parkinson's disease. In particular, it identifies abnormalities in the oscillation of the upper limbs, such as symmetry and amplitude, which are currently of interest to clinicians as possible early indicators of the disease. The markerless system is non-invasive for the patient and easy to use, consisting of a PC, two cameras, and two specifically developed AI software.
FishAI&EcoEater
Faire: Rome
Maker: ITI Galileo Ferraris Scampia Napoli
Automa, eco-sustainable and ecological that aims to combat the pollution of marine ecosystems through the use of artificial intelligence and a cutting-edge telecommunications network.
MaCh3D Material Testing (r)Evolution
Faire: Rome
Maker: MaCh3D
For those transforming raw materials into final products and for materials developers, MaCh3D is a Smart Material Testing platform made of an innovative hardware allowing an easier, safer and faster testing procedure, and a cloud platform for material intelligence, enhanced by AI for processes control and materials and processes optimization.
Smart Material Testing directly at manufacturing floor will accelerate materials innovation and grow trust in new materials and applications.
MaCh3D, (r)Evolution in Material Testing!
POT Il potabilometro – The potablity meter
Faire: Rome
Maker: I.I.S.Piazza Resistenza
POT is an instrument contained within a small case, a feature that makes it easily transportable. It is capable of measuring, thanks to three specific probes, temperature, pH and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) in the water. The probe data is analyzed by an Arduino board and is shown on an LCD display. Under different conditions, it is also turns on 4 LEDs.
POT is an innovative and extremely useful tool: it can be taken anywhere thanks to its small size and it has a battery inside so it doesn’t need external power supplies.
Just turn it on, put the probes in the water and you're done!
Wherever you want to know if the water is drinkable or not, POT is ready, easy to use, clear and fast.
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.
Arduino-based organ perfusion system.
Faire: Rome
Maker: IRCCS Policlinico S.Martino
Laboratory equipment could be expensive and their cost can be unsustainable for scientists with limited financial resources.
In order to overcome these limits we build a scalable organ perfusion system for research purposes based on Arduino boards, pressure transducers, peristaltic pumps, a thermostatic unit, and a micro-oxygenator.
Our system is designed to measure the mechanical properties of rat liver, however, it can be rearranged to perform other research on subnormothermic or hypothermic ex-vivo perfusion of liver and kidney or to realize peritoneal or isolated limb perfusion models.
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.
Radioamatori. I primi Maker Elettronici
Faire: Rome
Maker: ARI Associazione Radioamatori Italiani Sezione di Roma
1- Project 1 - Ham radio station - Operation
2- Project + Performance - Radiolocation experience
3- S-band antenna measurement bench (2-4 GHz)
4- Electronic constructions - Practice
SASA – Sapienza Technology Team
Faire: Rome
Maker: Sasa-sapienza aerospace student association
ERA is a planetary rover that participated in the European Rover Challenge, which simulates a Martian mission. Thanks to its robotic arm, it is capable of manipulating panels and collecting soil samples, while AI algorithms allow for autonomous execution of each operation. Additionally, the rover that will participate in the 2023 edition of the competition is presented, which in addition requires drilling and the use of a drone. Various prototypes developed internally by the team are also presented, including a group of sumobots: small rovers that compete to push others out of the ring.
Green4Mud
Faire: Rome
Maker: ITS "Efficienza Energetica"
Mud is processed trought water extraction into purified water, consequently hydrogen (STEP 2), and biocompost (STEP 3). Purified water from water extraction process is distilled and then used to produce green hydrogen trought electrolytic cell. After the first step of water extraction, the resulted biocompost could be used as fertilizer in agro-food companies.
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.
SE L’ACQUA C’È NOI LA TROVIAMO – IF THERE IS WATER WE WILL FIND IT
Faire: Rome
Maker: hydrohunter di Tamburrino Daniela
Hydrohunter's future plan is to be able to solve the drought problem. Also help the small farmer who does not have a large amount of money to invest in a water research project. Report whether there is an aquifer on your land, whether this water resource is convenient or not. That is, the risk-benefit ratio is valid for designing an artesian well.
Medical procedures on virtual patients.
Faire: Rome
Maker: VETRO (Virtual Experience with Tactile RObotics)
The project proposes an innovative interaction between physical and virtual reality using Weart's touchDIVER and the Oculus Rift S visor. The operator uses the touchDIVER and the visor to immerse himself in the virtual environment. A robotic hand replicates the movements of the physical hand, allowing interaction with virtual objects, including a CT-reconstructed abdominal section. The touchDIVER provides haptic feedback of force, temperature and texture. The aim is to offer an innovative medical simulation experience for surgeons, doctors and students, facilitating practice and learning.
