Never Gonna Desert You. Environmental sensing and irrigation solutions from the ground.

Elektra Wagenrad , Gustaff Harriman Iskandar , Nils Brock , Hiure Queiroz

18.05.2026 12:30–13:30
Makerspace Community Garden
Englisch
Workshop
Wissenschaft & Technologie
#Data #Common good #Nachhaltigkeit #Climate
The Internet of Things (IoT) is more than gadgets. How about monitoring the air quality of your community when authorities ignore air pollution? How about automatic solar-powered irrigation to optimise use of water resources? A hands-on experience on open sensor innovations made by communities.

Critical making is about ensuring effective solutions, considering real word challenges. Our workshop introduces successful approaches from Asia, Latin America and Africa, shedding light on the co-creation of digital tools by the Global Majority and the global maker community. In our workshop, participants will engage with 3 compelling stories of how the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) can be localized to respond to 3 different scenarios that are relevant for people on this planet: air pollution, water scarcity and deforestation.

Our speakers are not typical tech gurus and will help to demystify technical fixes, sharing the social context of the devices – literally - on the table. While participants can test and understand the functioning of each digital tool hands-on, they will also be sensitized about crucial boundary conditions: politics, economic sustainability, capacity building, supply chains, cultural acceptance and gender inclusiveness.