Students to test new technologies at Roskilde Festival

For the ninth year running, a team of engineering students from DTU will participate in Roskilde Festival to make it a more enjoyable and sustainable experience. Green power from a portable wind turbine, mapping the Festival deposit return collection, and biodegradable roll mats of fungi roots are just some of the 23 projects the students will be working with at this year’s Festival.

Since its start in 1971, Roskilde Festival has become many times bigger and every year, the Festival launches new initiatives. But new offerings provide new challenges which DTU engineering students since 2010 have helped solve. As part of their study programme, the students participate in Roskilde Festival to learn how to tackle real-world problems in a dynamic environment.

This year, several of the projects are about creating more safety and security. This is done using, among other things, a special type of Rockwool, which can be turned into temporary terrorism protection while serving as seating for the guests. Another team has created a mini-alarm which sounds if anyone touches your private belongings, and a third team will use the Internet of Things (IoT) to continuously track some of the Festival’s technical equipment.

This year, a group of students also focus on making the Festival more fun for people with disabilities. They have developed the so-called ‘drink saver’ which ensures that the beverage stays in the glass, even though your hand is shaking or you are in a wheelchair. Another group has developed a pair of crutches that transform into a chair.

Among the projects is also a return favourite: Last year, the transportable festival lamp GLØD (glow) was a great success, and now has a new design. A large number of lamps will be sold together with mobile chargers by the DTU start-up Volt, which also arises from the collaboration with Roskilde Festival.