Browsing by Author "Ribeiro, Maria Cristina de Castro"
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- Insect Farming – An EPS@ISEP 2022 ProjectPublication . Copinet, Benjamin; Flügge, Finn; Margetich, Leonie Christine; Vandepitte, Marie; Petrache, Paul-Luchian; Duarte, Abel J.; Malheiro, Benedita; Ribeiro, Maria Cristina de Castro; Justo, Jorge; Silva, Manuel F.; Ferreira, Paulo; Guedes, PedroIntensive cattle farming as a means of protein production contributes with the direct emission of greenhouse gases and the indirect contamination of soil and water. The public awareness towards this issue is growing in western cultures, leading to the stagnation of meat consumption and to the willingness to adopt alternative sustainable sources of protein. A solution is to farm insects as they present a reduced environmental impact and constitute a well-known source of protein. However, for westerners, eating insects implies a cultural change as they are still seen as dirty and disgusting. In 2022, a team of five EPS@ISEP students chose to design a solution for this problem followed by the assembly and test of the corresponding proof-of-concept prototype. They decided to design a home farming kit to grow mealworms driven by ethical, sustainable and the market needs. Exploring the insect life-cycle, the kit provides protein for humans and animals, chitin for soil bacteria and frass for plants. It can also be used as an educational tool for children to learn about sustainability, social responsibility and insect life-cycles, helping to overtake the cultural barrier against insect eating from a young age.
- Smart Bicycle Probe – An EPS@ISEP 2020 ProjectPublication . Boularas, Mélissa; Szmytke, Zuzanna; Smith, Logan; Isik, Kaan; Ruusunen, Juho; Malheiro, Benedita; JUSTO, Jorge; Ribeiro, Maria Cristina de Castro; Silva, Manuel F.; Ferreira, Paulo; Guedes, PedroAir pollution kills approximately 7 million people every year and nine out of ten people are exposed to high levels of airborne pollutants. This paper describes the design of a bicycle air probe by a team of multicultural and multidisciplinary students of the European Project Semester, during the spring of 2020. This learning experience started with the analysis of the state-of-the-art, ethics, marketing and sustainability dimensions, and was followed by the design, development and simulation of a proof-of-concept solution. The result is GOairLight – a bicycle probe paired with a mobile app. The probe collects air quality, humidity and temperature data as cyclists ride, while the mobile app shares the collected data with the community, by means of a cloud database, presents relevant air quality information and suggests less polluted routes. Furthermore, it relies on a sustainable energy source – a dynamo powered by the cyclist – and automatic lighting. The latter feature improves cyclist visibility and raises the awareness towards the cyclist, contributing to increased road safety.
- Urban Exploration Game – An EPS@ISEP 2022 ProjectPublication . Blaschke, Lina; Blauw, Bram; Herlange, Chloé; Pyciak, Anita; Zschocke, Jakob; Duarte, Abel J.; Malheiro, Benedita; Ribeiro, Maria Cristina de Castro; Justo, Jorge; Silva, Manuel F.; Ferreira, Paulo; Guedes, PedroTourists nowadays tend to avoid tourist traps and are looking for engaging ways to explore cities in the limited time they have. Standard options to explore cities seldom offer a combination between efficiency and fun. Furthermore, a search for an exploration city app returns an unlimited supply of lookalike websites and apps, all claiming to be the best. This paper reports the development of QRioCity, an efficient and exciting way to explore cities, by the ``Dragonics'' student team. QRioCity offers users the option to sign up for a playful tour through the city of Porto using a public kiosk with an interactive touchscreen. There is no limit to the number of teams playing simultaneously nor there is need to provide personal data. The teams are led through the city using clues and are proposed assignments, like scanning QR codes, to earn points. At the end of the game, every team receives discount coupons for local shops or stores depending on their score, even when they play alone. This way QRioCity helps tourists enjoying the local city life while offering municipalities a chance to strengthen their local economy.