Japan

“Smart” Community Mini Jam 2022

Do you have a passion for solving social challenges to improve lives? Do you want to leverage your skills and ideas in a diverse and high-energy setting to identify and attack issues in sustainability?

Join us on “Smart” Community Mini Jam, where change makers around the world will join an online design thinking workshop to explore the question, “How might we become a better informed, sustainable and ultimately resilient “smart” community?”

What is a “Smart” Community?

How human connect with each other and the environment has been revolutionized by technology. The growing pool of personal data has contributed to a rapidly developing internet. These changes also influence the physical infrastructure where we live at a rate faster than most people can adequately judge. 
 
How we will be able connect with each other, not only with other human beings, but with non-human creatures, and even the environment around us, via these advancing technologies?
 
Here, “Smart” is not only about the advancement of technology like AI or robotics, but more importantly, it is about how we as human shall be smart about using our intelligence and technology to sustain the environment and biological ecosystem of this world.  
 
This “Smart” Community Mini Jam is aiming at offering a space for exploring the definition and possibility of a “Smart” community together alongside the innovators, practitioners, and creators around the world. Join us to become a part of the solution!
 

GENERAL INFORMATION

The “Smart” Community Mini Jam 2022 will be an ONLINE event using Zoom and Miro.

✅Date, time:
DAY 1: Sat., May. 21, 15:00-18:00 “Smart” Community Talk Event
(Zoom will open from 14:30)
DAY 2: Sun., May. 22, 13:00-18:00 “Smart” Community Mini Jam

✅Language: The program will be run primarily in English. Japanese support can be provided.

✅Cost: ¥1,000 for students, ¥2,000 for non-students

✅How to sign up: Registration Page is here👉!

✅What to prepare?:

・A free Zoom and Miro account
・Stable Wifi-network, a quiet workspace
・Computer or tablet
・Comfortable clothes, shoes

 

What are some existing practices for a “Smart” Community?

(1)Hackerfarm and the Ricetech project

Techrice supports the efficiency of agricultural work by monitoring the condition of rice fields, such as measuring the height of the water level. You can view the data uploaded to the cloud from the measurement hardware using the smartphone app. The data that can be confirmed at this time are “water level”, “temperature”, and “humidity”.

Techrice is an open data sensor network research and hardware project. The sensor network is designed by Freaklabs. Techrice was also developed in collaboration with Digital Garage, Inc.’s Future Lab, Freaklabs, and Hacker Farm.

Image source: https://freaklabs.org/

(2)FabCafe Bangkok and Waste Surfer Project

Waste Surfer Project started as an Earth Day initiative and local call to action from existing FabCafe collaborators to crowdsource the available upcycle-able materials. This project developed a method of making surfskate boards by upcycling plastic and other materials which otherwise would have become waste. They’ve also created open-source system for the decks and wheels so individuals can customize all the parts themselves.

The Waste Surfer project is organized by FabCafe Bangkok with the support of the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC), the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) and Material ConneXion Bangkok.

Image source: https://fabcafe.com/magazine/bangkok/waste-surfer-report

(3)Safecast and their Decentralized Data approach

Safecast is an international volunteer driven non-profit organization whose goal is to create useful, accessible, and granular environmental data. All Safecast data is published, free of charge, into the public domain under a CC0 designation. 

Safecast’s community is inclusive and non-partisan, comprising people of all ages and from all walks of life. Energetic outreach activities allow Safecast to share their experiences with individuals and groups worldwide through frequent workshops, talks, and educational programs.

Image source: https://safecast.org/