WIRE16: presented the 3 winning projects

The 3 winning ideas: A web map to study the evolution of glacial masses; a CAM sensor capable of measuring masses up to a billionth of a gram and a platform that produces 3D printed orthopedic braces. WIRE16, Business, Research and Economics Workshop is the launch event of the European Researchers' Night which was held yesterday at the Scuderie Aldobrandini in Frascati (RM). The event, promoted by the European Commission and organized by Frascati Scienza in close collaboration with the Municipality of Frascati, the Lazio Region, ESA –ESRIN, sees the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) among the partner research institutions. Two INGV researchers, Giuliana D'Addezio and Giovanni Romeo, who also collaborated in the organization of the event, were part of the jury. The meeting was structured as a real direct dialogue between researchers, entrepreneurs and institutions together to support scientific, creative and technological excellence.
Of the 60 projects proposed, in just under a month, the scientific committee, made up of professionals in the various fields of innovation, research, finance and scientific communication, evaluated and selected 24 ideas for as many speakers who challenged each other in the throughout the day with shots of scientific communication. At the end of the meeting, the three winners of the #WIRE16 Innovation Award, Best Idea Award and Best Communicator Award were presented.

The Best Idea Award was assigned to Martina Di Rita. Studying the evolution of glacial masses, making the community aware of the effects of climate change, through a web map that provides the surface sliding speeds of the glaciers, obtained by processing, using an ad hoc developed algorithm, free radar images acquired by the new satellite of the ESA Sentinel-1 usable by researchers and able to promote the participation of tourists in scientific research.

The Innovation Award went to Andrea Longobardo, Ernesto Palomba and Fabrizio Dirri who designed a CAM (Contamination Assessment Microbalance) sensor developed by the IAPS-INAF of Rome in collaboration with the CNR of Rome and the Milan Polytechnic. The sensor is based on a quartz crystal microbalance, capable of measuring masses down to the billionth of a gram. The applications that this sensor can offer range from the measurement of contamination in space to the monitoring of fine particles in an urban environment up to measurements related to volcanic risk.

Finally, the #WIRE16 Best Communicator Award was assigned to Gabriel Scozzarro who presented Holey, a platform capable of creating 3D printed orthopedic braces. The braces that can be made with Holey are light and non-invasive, can be used both to immobilize the limb and for the rehabilitation period, are water resistant and can be customized in different colours.

Among the most innovative ideas also: a 3D graphics tablet - extra low cost 19 euros!; “MyPet Security”, a robot that combines two sectors of interest: Home Security and domotics. It is equipped with artificial intelligence, which allows it to move independently and to reach every room of the house and to send the data received to a cloud platform to carry out analyzes on them capable of customizing the level of safety and comfort; Fast Teapot is a StartUp project that involves the creation of a totally innovative, economical, ecological, low-energy, small-sized and easily transportable beverage warmer.

WIRE16 is once again confirmed as an important Social appointment this year, the live tweeting experience with the hashtag #WIRE16, in fact, was very popular and garnered much support throughout the country.

The event was held under the patronage of the European Commission, the Lazio Region and the Municipality of Frascati, in collaboration with ASI, CNR, ESA-ESRIN, ENEA, INAF, INFN, INGV, ISS, Sapienza University of Rome, University of of Rome "Tor Vergata", University of Roma Tre, UNINETTUNO International Telematic University, AISCRIS, BCC Banca di Frascati, Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SPA, Telecom Italia SPA, ELIS, Tor Vergata Economics Foundation, Italia Camp Foundation, InTech, Native, PIIU Association, Science4Biz.