RUFA at Maker Faire Rome 2026
Seven projects exploring a new way of designing at the intersection of design, technology and social innovation.
This year RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts, a partner of Maker Faire Rome 2026, returns to the fair with a stand that presents a clear vision of innovation: technology capable of simplifying, engaging and creating connections.
For the 2026 edition of Maker Faire Rome, the Academy presents “Gentle Technologies”, an exhibition journey showing how tools such as Arduino, RFID, NFC, 3D printing and laser cutting can become much more than simple technologies: tools capable of creating experiences, stimulating memory, supporting learning and improving the relationship between people and objects.
An idea of innovation that starts with people
The concept of the RUFA stand begins with a simple gesture: connecting, touching, fitting things together.
Behind apparently ordinary actions, experiences take shape that speak of memory, learning, sustainability and wellbeing. This is the meaning of “Gentle Technologies”: technologies that do not ask people to adapt to tools, but are designed to be intuitive, accessible and deeply human.
This philosophy perfectly reflects RUFA’s educational approach, which aims to develop technical skills without ever losing sight of creativity, experimentation and the cross-pollination of contemporary artistic languages.
An education focused on the future
RUFA’s educational offering includes Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes, Academic Masters, PhDs, a Foundation Year and short courses dedicated to art, design, visual communication, gaming, fashion and media art.
The educational pathway combines academic teaching and professional training through workshops, talks, placements and internships, involving internationally recognised professionals and companies. The aim is to prepare students to face the challenges of today’s market with solid skills and strong design capabilities.
The seven projects featured at the RUFA stand
At Maker Faire Rome 2026, seven prototypes created by students from the Design programme will be on display, each capable of interpreting the concept of gentle technology from a different perspective.
A small house that preserves audio memories through NFC technology. Each keyring contains a message, a voice or a song that comes to life simply by placing it on the little house. A project that transforms technology into a tool for preserving emotions and strengthening a sense of belonging.
An interactive system dedicated to speech rehabilitation in children. Through RFID cards, immediate feedback and game elements, it makes speech therapy more engaging, encouraging a natural and stimulating learning process for both young users and practitioners.
A tangible quiz dedicated to the history of design, using Arduino, RFID and jack cables to create a multisensory experience. The device guides the player with voice feedback, transforming learning into a dynamic and participatory activity.
A multifunctional furniture solution that integrates a bookcase, seat and lamp into a single object. The project combines CNC machining and 3D printing with a minimalist design, also conceived for customisable and on-demand production.
An incense burner that reinterprets the concept of the contemporary totem. Produced mainly through 3D printing, it brings together aesthetic research, design and functionality in an object capable of interacting with domestic spaces.
An educational game created from reclaimed cardboard and methacrylate offcuts processed with laser cutting. Through interlocking geometric shapes, the project encourages reflection on sustainability and the creative reuse of materials.
A coat rack, lamp and sculpture coexist within a single piece of furniture. The combination of painted iron and 3D-printed components creates an object that goes beyond simple function to become a defining feature of the domestic space.
Design, experimentation and technology serving people
The projects presented demonstrate how contemporary design can be a tool for tangible innovation. Each prototype emerges from the meeting of creativity, research and digital technologies, but above all from the desire to improve people’s experience through simple, intuitive and accessible solutions.
This is the strength of “Gentle Technologies”: making technology almost invisible, allowing what really matters to emerge, namely the relationship between people, objects and ideas. Precisely because “Gentle technology is not noticed. It is felt.”
In 2026, the collaboration between RUFA and Maker Faire Rome once again confirms how dialogue between education, research and innovation represents one of the main driving forces for imagining the future. A future in which art, design and technology work together to create increasingly human experiences.