The WatchEDGE project, coordinated by Prof.Guido Maier from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering – Politecnico di Milano, took part in Maker Faire Rome 2025 as an exhibitor with a dedicated booth. Participation in the event was made possible thanks to the support and sponsorship of Sensor-ID, a project partner and start-up company.
The WatchEDGE booth was animated by young researchers from the Politecnico di Milano and the University of Pisa, who welcomed the many visitors, illustrating the project’s goals, technologies, and applications while showcasing several interactive demos.
The presentations at Maker Faire were the result of the collaboration among all project partners — Politecnico di Milano, University of Catania, Italtel, CNIT RaSS, University of Pisa, University of Milano-Bicocca, Nextworks, and Sensor-ID — who also contributed with audio/video content and remote interventions, enriching the visitor experience.
At the end of the event, the WatchEDGE booth was honoured with the “Maker of Merit” award, presented to exhibitors who stand out for their originality, innovation, and potential impact.
About the WatchEDGE Project
Launched in January 2023 with a duration of three years, WatchEDGE is funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU under the RESTART program, with a contribution of €1 million out of a total budget of €116 million.
The project’s goal is to develop intelligent tools to support operators and workers in rural environments — from farmers to national park managers — in the monitoring of environmental phenomena, such as forest fires, pest outbreaks, or changes in wildlife populations.
WatchEDGE is building an advanced technological infrastructure based on intelligent networks and AI-powered image processing algorithms, capable of processing, storing, and transmitting data in real time. This distributed architecture enables efficient and sustainable applications, with potential benefits in the agriculture, forestry, and environmental protection sectors.
A particularly innovative aspect of the project concerns wildlife management: in rural areas, the overpopulation of certain species — such as fallow deer and wild boar — can damage crops, ecosystems, and biodiversity. WatchEDGE aims to provide tools for continuous and non-invasive monitoring, supporting both environmental protection and field operators.
Project field trials have been underway since 2024 at the San Rossore Park (Pisa), where traditional wildlife censuses have been conducted for decades. The Park has shown strong interest in the solutions developed by WatchEDGE, which could become key tools for more efficient and automated monitoring of wildlife and the natural environment in the near future.