About Maker Faire Rome 2016
On Sunday the 16th of October, I participated in the Maker Faire 2016 in #Rome (Italy) which was the European issue of the innovation exhibition. It was an unmissable date for anyone enthusiastic about innovations, robotics, drones, new technologies, sustainable development and much more.
The faire was divided in five pavilions, each one dedicated to a specific field of innovations. It also offered an interesting chance to deepen some subjects with seminars, workshops, panels and live performances in the following categories:
Move: bikes, drones, mobility, robots, rockets, sport, water;
Life: agriculture, animals, body, energy, food, health, human body;
Interaction: art, audio, electronics, games, home automation, science, virtual reality;
Fabrication: 3D printing, craft, furniture, new manufacturing, recycling;
Young makers: education, kids, schools, young makers;
Short circuits: conference, light and darkness, security.
My experience at the event
Chick’n’Mango couldn't miss a chance to visit it! So I went there with a couple of friends and tried several innovative inventions that I'll sum up in the following paragraphs.
In my opinion, the event was overall well organized apart from one strong weak point: the stands were difficult to recognize and distinguish. Actually, you needed to come very close to each stand to understand what it was all about. A simple solution to this problem could be by putting out wide roll-ups with the necessary info of each stand.
Samsung Gear VR
Imagine diving in the crystal waters of a Caribbean sea while you are…comfortably at home! Nowadays, virtual reality is officially introduced to our lives and, with a bunch of euros, you can purchase tools like the Samsung Gear VR or the well-known Oculus and undergo amazing virtual experiences.
At the Maker Faire, I tried the Samsung Gear VR and it was very cool! You have some weird feelings in your eyes when you put the glasses on, but a few minutes later you get used to them.
Obviously, the more powerful the mobile phone inserted into the glasses, the more realistic the virtual experience is. That’s why this technology is booming and has lots of developmental opportunities.
Stay active
Another interesting technology I tested is the StayActive app. It is a mobile application created to send alerts the moment you start deviating from proper posture.
It is very simple to use: you install the app, wear a little sensor which you can attach to your clothes by a magnet system, calibrate the app and…up, up and away!
The sensor on your body sends out a vibration when your back assumes a wrong position. This app is very useful to help people correct their posture and it can be used as a corrective therapy for several dangerous back deformations.
3D printing
Among many of the 3D printing vendors, I perused a stand run by a company from Barcelona called Natural Robotics. The core business of this company is the Cartesian 3D printing and, cutting a long story short, I learned there are mainly two types of printing methods.
The first one consists in transforming a fiber of plastic into a shaped object which can also be used to produce mechanical components. It is distinguished by its resistance, but unfortunately, lacks precision.
The second one is the opposite. It transforms melted resin into a solid shape and is the most precise 3D printing method.
Nevertheless, due to the material used, the objects created are not very resistant.
In the 3D printing pavilion, I learned that the industry sector has jumped to the next level and 3D printers will revolutionize the working system.
WHAT DO YOU THINK
Where are these innovations going to bring society and what is the invention that will really revolutionize our everyday life?
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