“LumiNation”, a project developed by master’s students at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, took first place in the national final of Red Bull Basement Portugal. The competition took place on 11 May at the Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade, featuring two other teams from Técnico – Safe Mesh and ALERTA WaveGuard – among the ten finalist teams from across the country.
“Winning this competition means a great deal to me personally, as it demonstrates that the world of entrepreneurship and innovation is closer than we think. It shows that we must be persistent and believe in our ideas”, said Vasco Pires, a master’s student in Computer Science and Engineering and co-creator of the “LumiNation” project, developed in partnership with Liliana Silva, a master’s student in Engineering and Management of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
The young entrepreneurs have developed a smart adaptive street lighting system, with the aim of reducing energy waste through more efficient management of urban lighting. The solution detects and predicts movement based on the speed and direction of pedestrians or vehicles, calculating the number of streetlights required and the appropriate lighting intensity for each situation. Among the various components used, such as radars and sensors capable of detecting breathing, the project’s innovation lies in the ability to adapt existing streetlights by integrating a smart algorithm. “Our idea allows us to connect directly to the interface, the LED driver, which, in turn, enables us to connect to the mains”, explained Vasco Pires.
The winning team, which had previously won the award for best prototype at TecStorm, is heading to California on 3 June to compete in the Red Bull Basement World 2026 global final. For Liliana Silva, this achievement is “proof” that more people believe in the idea. “We have the honour and responsibility of representing Portugal in this competition. I am very grateful, and we will do our best”.
Also representing Técnico were the Safe Mesh and ALERTA WaveGuard teams. Safe Mesh, the brainchild of Nicollas Nogueira, an undergraduate student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Larissa Montefusco, a master’s student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, emerged following the observation of “two striking incidents”: the Iberian blackout and Storm Kristin in Leiria. Safe Mesh provides an extra layer of text-based communication for emergencies. “It is an autonomous and reliable network. Our key differentiator is its ease of use; anyone will be able to use it to communicate safely”, assured Nicollas, who also collaborates with the Interactive Technologies Institute (ITI).
Larissa Montefusco, who works at Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores – Investigação e Desenvolvimento em Lisboa (INESC-ID) in the field of electromobility, says that the whole process “was a real eye-opener”, from developing the app, which works without an internet connection, to creating the website, landing page and energy component that uses solar panels. “We harness solar energy during the day and then use batteries at night; it was very interesting to work on this more electronics-focused power aspect”, she said.
ALERTA WaveGuard, a startup founded by Junitec – Junior Enterprise at Técnico, has developed a fall detection system for elderly care facilities. Matilde Ribeiro e Sousa, a Mechanical Engineering student, believes the project’s value lies in the possibility of “helping others”. The project uses radar sensors to monitor a senior’s posture and movements, triggering an alert in the event of a fall. “The focus is on using radar sensors that allow continuous monitoring of older people whilst they are indoors, ensuring their safety – in other words, they do not use cameras”, she explained. According to the student, the project aims to fill a gap in the market. “We realised there is a gap in the market for fall detection systems for older people”, she added.
