IMDEA Networks participates in the 11th Madrid is Science Fair

Two interactive demos have been presented: one on LiFi and the other on a voting system using blockchain

07 March 2022

IMDEA Networks has participated in the 11th Madrid is Science Fair, a leading national event for the dissemination of science and research, held from March 2 to 5 at IFEMA and organized by the Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d. We shared a stand with the other institutes of IMDEA – the Madrid Institutes of Advanced Studies initiative. The IMDEA institutes each presented interactive activities around the areas of knowledge that are the object of their studies: water, food, energy, materials, nanoscience, networks, and software.

Our Institute has organized two interactive demos. In the first one, researchers Dayrene Frómeta, Ignacio López de Rego, Borja Genovés, Sarmad Mir, and Javier Talavante have shown a prototype of a sustainable wireless communication device that does not need batteries for its operation. The objective of this research group is to eliminate the batteries of mobile devices since they pose a danger to the environment due to their chemical components. To do this, they use LiFi technology and reflect the 4G/5G signals in the environment to transmit information, reaching hundreds of meters away with an energy consumption 100 thousand times lower than WiFi technology.

In addition, fair attendees were able to observe how Chirotonia works, a new generation voting system secured by cryptographic tools specifically designed and guaranteed by blockchain technology. Decentralization, transparency, determinism, and unalterability of votes are guaranteed by ‘smart contracts’ on a blockchain, while voter authenticity and anonymity are achieved by linkable ring signatures. In their demonstration, Antonio Russo and Jesús Rufino have allowed attendees to access the voting web application to participate in it, explaining what is the magic underneath.

During the fair, not only hundreds of students eager to learn about technology have visited our stand, but we have also received the visit of Fidel Rodríguez-Batalla, Vice-Minister of Universities, Science and Innovation of the Community of Madrid, Federico Moran, the director of Fundación para el Conocimiento madri+d, and Ricardo Díaz Martín, General Director of Universities and Higher Artistic Education of the Community of Madrid.

The Madrid is Science Fair is conceived as a comprehensive showcase of the R&D&I capabilities of the Community of Madrid for the construction of a sustainable future, showing citizens the response that Science, Technology, and Innovation can give to the challenges of the planet. It represents an excellent opportunity for the school community and the general public to learn about the excellent science being done in the region of Madrid. Likewise, the Fair is a space to encourage scientific vocations among young people by eliminating gender barriers from the early stages of education. In short, the aim is to stimulate the interest and curiosity of young people in science and to show how research influences economic development and the welfare of society.