Digital DIY refers to using digital tools and open knowledge to more affordably and sustainably produce customized products and solutions. The DiDIY project aims to understand this phenomenon's societal impacts and foster human-centric development in Europe. Digital DIY can help rural communities through approaches like sensor-controlled greenhouses, field monitoring, mapping local needs, creating local digital services, and sharing data and knowledge - making farming more affordable and communities more resilient with solutions owned and maintained locally. However, lack of awareness, education, financing, and overregulation pose obstacles, which can be addressed through open policies, training, and community workshops.

1. Digital DIY for self-
sustainability of rural
areas
SURAP Nitra
December 3rd, 2015
by Marco Fioretti

2. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
What is Digital DIY?
● a social, NOT technical phenomenon, based on
– much easier and cheaper production of all sorts
of“products”, including “unique” or «smart» ones
– thanks to digital tools and/or networks
– accessibility of the related knowledge
– much bigger than 3D printing

3. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
DiDIY project objectives
● understand the impacts of DiDIY on society
● foster a DiDIY-based, human-centric
development in Europe
● produce useful results for European teachers,
researchers and (primarily) policy-makers

4. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Free Software and Open Hardware
● Come with full source code and design files, released under
licenses that explicitly allow, and encourage, reuse,
modification, and redistribution by anyone, under the same
conditions
● "Free as in Freedom, not as in Free Beer” regardless of
whether and how much authors are paid for each copy of
their software
● Examples: Linux, Libre Office, Firefox, Arduino...

5. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Arduino microcontroller and sensors

6. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
3D printers

7. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
CNC machines

8. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Digital DIY
in
Agriculture
and
Rural Areas

9. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Build and REALLY own your tools
● Cheaper and fully customizable
● No planned obsolescence, full Right to Repair

10. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Digital DIY in Agriculture/Rural areas
Sensor-controlled hydroponic greenhouses

11. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Fields and livestock monitoring

12. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Collaborative mapping with OSM
People mapping:
● what THEY actually need
● in their OWN native language

13. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
LOCAL digital services
● DIY local connectivity
=
● Enable local,
community-owned
versions of digital
services
● Where commercial
broadband would
never arrive

14. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Sharing of data and knowledge
Even for LOW-TECH solutions

15. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Advantages of Digital DIY
●
very cost effective and customisable
● real ownership: maintenance surely possible even if “vendor”
disappears
●
Innovation without permission: no artificial legal barriers, contracts or
dependency on big assistance programs
●
can create local service jobs, not exposed to delocalisation
●
empowers single farmers and whole communities, promotes sharing
– High-tech, Precision Agriculture, Land Planning and Management
“by the people, for the people”

16. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Digital DIY helps to make:
● Farming, forestry etc...
– More affordable
– Less uncertain and stressful
● Rural areas in general:
– Less expensive to preserve, and easier to live in
– More resilient, beyond the limits of markets

17. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Main obstacles and risks
● Lack of awareness
● Education and cultural divides
● Lack of adequate financing
● Overregulation

18. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Proposed solutions
● NO to “selling” or buying products to/for farmers
● YES to
– Digital DIY-friendly regulations and financing
– localization of information (manuals, sw...)
– support community-owned fab labs/workshops
– proper practical training
– teach Digital DIY in agricultural/forestry faculties

19. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
A long time ago, in a
farm far far away...
Today:
Arduino-powered
farming automation
(source: snapshot of Google image search)

20. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Just better. And REAL
Digital DIY farming may be a bit like Star Wars
(source: snapshot of Google image search)

21. CC BY-SA
Marco Fioretti
marco@freeknowledge.eu
Thanks and...
● Questions?
● See you at
www.didiy.eu
(your help to translate these slides AND the main
DiDIY pages Would be very appreciated)
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant
agreement No 644344. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this website do not necessarily reflect the views of the EC.