---
title: "Kintsugi"
description: "Kintsugi (Yanmar, 2016/17): An automated station distributes food portions, goods and information after earthquakes"
url: "https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/kintsugi-2016-17/"
lang: "en"
---

# Kintsugi

**An automated station distributes food portions, goods and information after earthquakes**

_Creating System That Supports House Refugees after Disasters._

- **Corporate partner:** [Yanmar](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/partners/yanmar/) (https://www.yanmar.com/)
- **Cohort:** [2016/17](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/cohort/2016-17/)
- **Theme:** [Education & society](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/themes/education-society/)
- **Type:** Physical product
- **Key fact:** 30 km some house refugees walk to an open shop
- **Universities:** [University of Modena and Reggio Emilia](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/unimore/), [Kyoto Institute of Technology](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/kyoto-it/)
- **Team:** 6 master students

## Challenge

After earthquakes in Italy and Japan, people who stay in their damaged homes, so-called house refugees, cannot reach evacuation-centre supplies. Yanmar asked for a way to bring them goods, information and community.

## What the team learned

Evacuation spots refuse goods to people living at home. Volunteers want to help but cannot tell where house refugees are, so they walk from house to house.

## What they built

Kintsugi is a foldable, three-zone storage shelf powered by a gas generator. A display shares disaster information, an automatic zone hands out fixed food portions, and a staffed zone gives out supplies. Families pre-register on an iPad so volunteers can adjust goods.

## Impact

Projected: the shelf would arrive about three days after an earthquake with Yanmar construction machinery, then be assembled and stocked by volunteers.

## Full project text

The team developed the Kintsugi, a three-part automated storage system to help support disaster relief victims.

### Challenge

Both Italy and Japan have suffered greatly from earthquakes and have developed their own methods of relief. However, there is still room for improvement and innovation.  In doing research, the team found that people who stay in their homes after an earthquake suffer both physically and mentally. The goal was to find ways to help and support these House Refugees by supplying them with goods, information, and community.

### Solution

The team came up with Kintsugi, a three-part automated storage system to help support disaster relief victims.  
​  
Information Zone: The first need is a lack in giving and receiving information.  To create a communication channel there is a display where information is broadcast to volunteers.  
​  
Auto Food Distribution Zone: The aim of this part is to distribute automatically to people what they need, in particular food.  In doing so, the system has to provide a fixed amount of food per person, and, at the same time, it has to control whether someone is trying to steal a greater quantity or not.  
​  
Handed Distribution Zone: In the handed distribution zone. house refugees can get supplies, for example, mothers can get much needed baby supplies.  Hand distribution is important because it gives a reason for people to talk and connect, forming a stronger community.

## Who built it.

- Marco Bonari (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
- Rossella Bersani (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
- Andrea Monti (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
- Miho Torigoe (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Akemi Yamamoto (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Akihiro Ogawa (Kyoto Institute of Technology)

## Video

- SUGAR ME310-Yanmar Disaster Relief: https://vimeo.com/239978465

## Sources

Summarised by the SUGAR editorial team from the team’s project page and SUGAR Expo booklet.

Open the 2016/17 booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TXg5U1NWDb_LJz7j9X2CHIyjHksh0QIk/view?usp=sharing