University projects at Maker Faire Rome 2022

University students and professors protagonists at MFR

Initiatives to enhance university-based inventions, creative uses of 3D printing, drones, immersive work-oriented video and “bottom-up manufacturing” prototypes in the project of MFR 2022

Maker Faire Rome 2022 was a unique opportunity for many protagonists of the innovation scene present their initiatives, prototypes and projects to a wide audience. Among these, we cannot fail to mention the universities that, in addition to being the centres of knowledge par excellence, have become over the years real incubators of innovation.

Initiatives to enhance the inventions designed in university centers, creative uses of 3D printing, immersive video for work orientation and prototypes of “bottom-up manufacturing” that combine design and digital fabrication: let’s take a look at some of the most surprising projects carried out by universities that animated the stands of the tenth edition of MFR.

UAVIMALS

UAVIMALS is a small drone, lightweight and transportable, useful as a tool to survey the morphology of the ground surface.

Its engineering was the result of a National Geographic Society funding that allowed the integration between a custom medium and a solid-state laser sensor. The system achieved excellent results and has already been tested in the medieval city of Cencelle, in the province of Viterbo, revealing the profiles of two large urban environments, placed close to the city walls, not yet intercepted by excavation investigations.

The project was carried out by the UAVIMALS TEAM of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”.

Quantum tech @Roma Tre

The Quantum Technologists Group of Roma Tre – composed of scientists active for years in the technologies advancement and focused, in paricular, on the use of semiconductors and light in an innovative way –  presented some of their prototypes under development during the tenth edition of Maker Faire Rome.

In fact, in the near future, quantum technology will enter our daily lives and the Quantum Technologists team is often asked when their research will be ready to leave the laboratories. MFR was an opportunity for this group of scientists to answer this question, concretely showing the progress of their research and projects.

Deployable structure with memory shape

A project that shows an innovative use of 3D printing for the creation of a component made of PEEK and a composite material with a multifunctional polymer matrix.

This prototypical smart component can be integrated into a simple opening kinematics supporting system on antennas and/or solar panels, through the activation of a polymeric memory shape nanostructured material that occurs with electromagnetic stimulus.

The prototype is an example of how multi-material, lightweight, sustainable and multifunctional structures can be created. The multifunctional material printed with specific design, in fact, is able to perform the function of hinge, sensor and actuator.

A project realized by Francesca Nanni, Mario Bragaglia, Lorenzo Paleari, Luisa Petti, Manuela Ciocca and Arvind Gurusekaran.

SoLVE – Solid Liquid Multivariable Extractor

SoLVE is a sustainable extraction technology, enhanced with the use of green solvents, for the recovery of high added value compounds that can be used as instrumentation for both academic and industrial purposes.

SoLVE uses an innovative and patented method, which allows the exploitation of numerous operating parameters and configurations for the recovery of molecules from solid matrices and the simultaneous separation of the extract from the residue.

This technology is particularly suitable for the recovery of thermosensitive molecules, but can also be effectively used for the removal of unwanted compounds from polluted materials.  

The project was carried out by Patrizia Perego, Professor of Chemical Plants at the University of Genova, Alessandro Alberto Casazza and Margherita Pettinato, researchers at the University of Genova.

Inside a working place – immersive videos for work orientation

During Maker Faire Rome 2022, were presented two immersive videos that show a senior professional who welcomes and describes to the viewer his working environment, moving in different spaces, interacting with other people, telling exciting and complex aspects of his profession.

The videos are set in two contexts: an educational service for children and a training agency. MFR visitors could watch the videos directly using their mobile phones, accessing the YouTube channel of the University of Siena.

A project curated by Loretta Fabbri, Full Professor of Didactics and Methodology of Educational and Training Processes; Mario Giampaolo, Associate Professor of Didactics and digital education at the University of Siena; Caterina Garofano, PhD student in Learning and Innovation in social and work contexts.

The Open Source Park

A network of open source projects for public spaces, produced with a local digital supply chain of upcycling Fab Lab. An experiment that combines design with the supply chain of material collection centers and “digital fabrication”.

During the tenth edition of Maker Faire Rome were presented prototypes of ” bottom up digital manufacturing”: furniture and structures, made with different partners, designed to be produced by small-scale numerical control machines, available in widespread networks of laboratories, such as the Fab Lab, and starting from the recovery chains of materials collected to be directly processed, in a transition from re-cycling to up-cycling.

The project was carried out by the Department of Architecture – Laboratory Models and Prototypes of the University of Roma Tre.

UniGe – Build Up Your Tech

“Build Up Your Tech” is an enhancement program for the industrial property titles of the University of Genova, aimed at supporting and developing the patented inventions, encouraging  their technological maturity with a view to a possible industrial exploitation.  

This programme is one of the activities that the University of Genova carries out in order to reduce the gap between research results and possible implementations at industrial level. In particular, “Build Up Your Tech” aims to raise technologies maturity level at the base of the inventions, according to the scale of TRL, to allow the industrial enhancement.

The project was carried out by the Valorization of Research and Technology Transfer Sector of the University of Genova, which has been operating since 2007 and has 47 university spin-offs, 114 patents and multiple agreements with local authorities and many collaboration agreements with companies.