digital diy for self-sustainability of rural areas

Digital DIY for self-sustainability of rural areas

SURAP NitraDecember 3rd, 2015

by Marco Fioretti

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

What is Digital DIY?

● a social, NOT technical phenomenon, based on

– much easier and cheaper production of all sorts

of“products”, including “unique” or «smart» ones

– thanks to digital tools and/or networks

– accessibility of the related knowledge

– much bigger than 3D printing

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

DiDIY project objectives

● understand the impacts of DiDIY on society

● foster a DiDIY-based, human-centric development in Europe

● produce useful results for European teachers, researchers and (primarily) policy-makers

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

Free Software and Open Hardware

● Come with full source code and design files, released under

licenses that explicitly allow, and encourage, reuse,

modification, and redistribution by anyone, under the same

conditions

● "Free as in Freedom, not as in Free Beer” regardless of

whether and how much authors are paid for each copy of

their software

● Examples: Linux, Libre Office, Firefox, Arduino...

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

Arduino microcontroller and sensors

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

3D printers

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

CNC machines

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

Digital DIYin

Agricultureand

Rural Areas

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

Build and REALLY own your tools

● Cheaper and fully customizable

● No planned obsolescence, full Right to Repair

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

Digital DIY in Agriculture/Rural areas

Sensor-controlled hydroponic greenhouses

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

Fields and livestock monitoring

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

Collaborative mapping with OSM

People mapping:● what THEY actually need● in their OWN native language

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

LOCAL digital services

● DIY local connectivity

=

● Enable local, community-owned versions of digital services

● Where commercial broadband would never arrive

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

Sharing of data and knowledge

Even for LOW-TECH solutions

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

Advantages of Digital DIY● very cost effective and customisable

● real ownership: maintenance surely possible even if “vendor”

disappears

● Innovation without permission: no artificial legal barriers, contracts or

dependency on big assistance programs

● can create local service jobs, not exposed to delocalisation

● empowers single farmers and whole communities, promotes sharing

– High-tech, Precision Agriculture, Land Planning and Management

“by the people, for the people”

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

Digital DIY helps to make:

● Farming, forestry etc...

– More affordable

– Less uncertain and stressful

● Rural areas in general:

– Less expensive to preserve, and easier to live in

– More resilient, beyond the limits of markets

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

Main obstacles and risks

● Lack of awareness

● Education and cultural divides

● Lack of adequate financing

● Overregulation

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

Proposed solutions● NO to “selling” or buying products to/for farmers

● YES to

– Digital DIY-friendly regulations and financing

– localization of information (manuals, sw...)

– support community-owned fab labs/workshops

– proper practical training

– teach Digital DIY in agricultural/forestry faculties

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

A long time ago, in a farm far far away...

Today:

Arduino-poweredfarming automation

(source: snapshot of Google image search)

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marco@freeknowledge.eu

Just better. And REAL

Digital DIY farming may be a bit like Star Wars

(source: snapshot of Google image search)

CC BY-SAMarco Fioretti

marco@freeknowledge.eu

Thanks and...

● Questions?● See you at

www.didiy.eu

(your help to translate these slides AND the main DiDIY pages Would be very appreciated) This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant

agreement No 644344. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this website do not necessarily reflect the views of the EC.