present:

The Wi-Food Generation - Feeding in the Social Media Age

Concept created and developed by Paolo Barichella

What happens when an improvised moment such as a Picnic becomes the project work of
a designer? And what happens when this occurs during the post digital revolution age?

Picnic 2.0 answers these and other questions, revealing the best way to achieve this
objective.

Web mobile and Social media networking

The term Picnic 2.0 comes from the term WEB 2.0 which, in turn, indicates the move from
an interactive WEB approach to a participatory one. With regard to a social context, this
analogy has never been as focused… after all, what is more engaging than a picnic?

2.0 and its next versions reveal a technological evolution that improves older software or
platform versions. Picnic 2.0 sanctions the evolution of the ordinary picnic during the post
digital revolution age.

The Picnic 2.0 approach starts with a group of people who meet on a website especially
developed for this initiative, or on the preferred social network, where they create an
ʻeventʼ. Participants thus decide to book their personal Picnic 2.0 via WEB or
Internet Mobile in one of the spots present in any of the city parking areas adhering to the
project.
Booking and services

After creating the ʻeventʼ, participants receive a personalized QR Code®* on

their mobile phones and a confirmation e-mail/sms, which identify them
upon arrival against the Picnic 2.0 booking form completed online. The
identification of each participant is immediate via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or simply
via optical reading of the QR code®. At that point, all participantsʼ mobile
phones become inter-connected.

A subscription program including a RFID (chip pass) has been set up for participants who
wish to become regular users, providing them with several benefits.

According to the original spirit that heralded Picnic as an informal activity par excellence
(where gathering and eating together have enjoyment as objective), each participant
decides what ingredients to bring at the event. At this point every participant receives
information about products brought along by other members; the program accordingly
proposes a range of recipes using those ingredients.

If, by any chance, an ingredient is missing, a convenient well-equipped clubhouse

supports any requests through a thematic minimarket that supplies products tailored for
the picnic and provides for the washing of the kitchen equipment. The system is
characterized by its very low environmental impact, thanks to its modern concept of
energy saving cooking, guaranteed by the use of technology through induction and
WOK pans.

®
* QR Code – a two-dimensional barcode used as a convenient application aimed at mobile phone camera
users, which enables them to memorize a programmed URL.
Sustainability: from Barbecue through to WOK

Whilst previously participants at a Barbecue were bringing bags with coal, nowadays
Picnic 2.0 participants can rely on a system based on sustainable energy sources that
do not cause smoke and pollution, therefore avoiding fire risks.

The project is entirely inspired from nature. As with the chlorophyll photosynthesis
where the required energy is produced by leaves, within the Picnic 2.0 the energy is
produced by photovoltaic panels, which also provide for the covering of the area.

This energy is stored in high yield accumulators geared to power any of the Picnic
moduleʼs energy requirements. From cooking through induction (done through systems
that transform the electric power, via electronics, in electromagnetic waves that heat the
WOK pan above the oven), all through to powering the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas
and the possibility to charge participantsʼ mobile phones using low-voltage USB ports,
everything is powered by the energy produced using the photovoltaic covering of the
module.
Evolution – Positioning the project

The self-powered module, including related optionals and services, has been
conceived to function entirely independently, and is geared for: picnic areas, parking
areas, beaches, highway stopping areas, golf clubs, water parks and fun parks,
open swimming pools, gardens, countryside, agritourism, camping sites and
touristic villages.

Picninc 2.0 has been developed from a concept studied by Paolo Barichella, who asked
Mauro Olivieri to assist as designer consultant. The self-powered Picnic 2.0 module has
been developed by Revello, a firm already active in this field, which had already produced
such interesting structures, e.g. covering of greenhouses and parking areas.

The project envisages using dining tables with photovoltaic panels, a reminder of the
classic archetype wooden tables already present in picnic areas in the mountains and
open parking sites. These new generation elements compete with the solar energy for
charging mobile phones and mobile equipments for Picnic 2.0 participants, providing the
energy needed for the use of led lamps, thus allowing for the event to also take place
during evening hours. Besides having a very low environmental impact, the led lamps
replace torches and gas lamps, thus avoiding any fire risks.

We are looking forward to seeing you at Picnic 2.0 in parking and open areas, in the cities
that are most sensitive to the environmental impact.

 
 

Info:

Francesca Russo mobile 347-1246372

f.russo@designdiffusion.com

Ilaria Legato mobile 334-9572227

comunicazione@zona7.it