Innovative company Domethics, based in Corso Giulio Cesare in Turin, has found an eco-sustainable way to give long unused smartphones and tablets a new use, turning them into a new home automation and telemedicine device. The startup's invention in the IoT sector is called Adriano, a tribute to Olivetti, recognised as one of the fathers of Italian technology and computing. It consists of connecting unused devices to a component made by Domethics, which transforms them into a hub that can also be connected remotely to control home lights, heating, household appliances, video intercoms or to remotely take care of people who need medical support and assistance. In addition, Adriano allows you to adjust the temperature and activate electricity consumption only when actually needed, cutting waste and inefficiency by up to 30%.
The environmental impact of this innovation is astonishing: according to statistics, there are at least 700 million unused phones in Europe, half of which still have some residual capacity that can be used. Based on a study by the European Union, extending the life of a single electronic device by even just one year can cut up to 4 kg of carbon dioxide. This means that, ideally, bringing the 350 million unused but still functioning smartphones in Europe back into use for 12 months would avoid almost 1.5 million tonnes of CO2. The equivalent of what 500,000 trees would do in a year..
During the CES in Las Vegas, where Domethics was praised as one of the most innovative companies at the convention and awarded the Innovation Award Honoree 2022 in the Smart Home category, a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter was presented for the launch of Adriano. The campaign reached a total collection of €51,220, hitting its minimum goal in less than 24 hours, and allowing the first products to be delivered by the first half of 2022.
Domethics' founders Samuele Rocca, Mirko Bretto and Maurizio Ferrero explained: "Adriano is a low-cost, easy-to-use product that reduces the waste of electronic resources, giving new life to old smartphones and tablets left in a drawer or destined to become electronic waste while increasing the quality of life. The device is designed for multiple technological needs that are now part of our lives, simplifying their use. This is why we decided to call it Adriano: in honour of Adriano Olivetti, who taught us that technological innovation should be within everyone's reach and to make everyday life easier. We are proud that the organizers of the most important global event dedicated to consumer technology have awarded it the Innovation Award 2022. In addition, the success of the campaign on Kickstarter, one of the most important crowdfunding platforms, which has given us international visibility, shows that we are going in the right direction“.
