As students of a Master Degree in Industrial Engineering specialized in Electronics, we have always been interested in developing prototypes to solve daily-life problems. Particularly, we tend to look for power-aware solutions using IoT that enable a sustainable development of our society. When we first heard about the Sigfox University Challenge, which asked for ideas to preserve the environment, we thought to make a device to face the e-waste concern we’re living nowadays. Our project, Logifox, focuses on introducing IoT into Reverse Logistics in order to encourage the reuse of electronic components until their end-of-life.
We developed a Sigfox-enabled Smart Pallet composed of several sensors to monitor inventory of these components. When the number of components changes, the Smart Pallet sends an update to Sigfox backend where this information is forwarded to Firebase, a real-time database by Google. Finally, we interconnected this database with a self-developed app to display the available components.
We believe that one of the most significant aspects to develop this winner project was our teamwork spirit. During the different stages of the project, we had to deal with many arising problems to make our idea become a reality. Thanks to our cooperation and combining our skills, eventually, we could implement an end-to-end solution to minimize e-waste. Winning the Sigfox Universities Challenge is a unique chance for us to meet other makers and be part of the global IoT revolution inside the Sigfox ecosystem.
SIGFOX CONNECT FEEDBACK AND ECOSYSTEM IN BERLIN
When we arrived the Sigfox Connect in Berlin, Judith Kreyder and Gaspard Flachet were waiting for all the finalists to explain us the details about the program. Firstly, we had the opportunity to pitch our projects in front of a panel of experts and, then, we could attend different conferences and keynotes. It was an amazing experience that we’ll never forget and, best of all, we could exchange ideas with many experts with whom we’ll keep in touch in the future.
The atmosphere was incredible and the Sigfox team made us feel an important part of the event. There were so many booths showcasing hardware and software solutions based on Sigfox whereas, in the main stage, different speakers shared their vision of the incoming paradigm. Besides, the expert zone was the perfect place to acquire a deeper technical knowledge.
In short, attending the Sigfox Connect event in Berlin helped us to learn more and more about IoT and opened our minds to continue developing new projects.
