Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239345
Md. Tahmid Rashid, S. A. Mahmud
The aim of this research was to construct a semi-autonomous seeker robot in the form factor of a rover that inherits a degree of intelligence for aiding rescue operations through rubble. The developed robot would be able to crawl through the limited space available under debris and wreckages, providing real-time video feed of the situation along with night vision capability. By the means of an onboard positioning system incorporating beacons, the rover would be able to guide itself into and out of the wreckage site. In addition to that, with a carbon dioxide gas sensor, a methane gas sensor and an image processing system working in tandem, the robot would have the capability to successfully detect dead bodies and potential survivors. With the aid of the locator system interfaced with a GUI, the location of the dead bodies and/or survivors can be tagged while their distances from the rescuers can be determined by the robot's operator. To ensure uninterrupted communication throughout, a custom wireless communication system was developed based on existing Wi-Fi repeater technology. The entire system was rigorously field-tested for accuracy and reliability.
{"title":"Intelligent seeker robot to locate dead bodies and survivors under debris","authors":"Md. Tahmid Rashid, S. A. Mahmud","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239345","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this research was to construct a semi-autonomous seeker robot in the form factor of a rover that inherits a degree of intelligence for aiding rescue operations through rubble. The developed robot would be able to crawl through the limited space available under debris and wreckages, providing real-time video feed of the situation along with night vision capability. By the means of an onboard positioning system incorporating beacons, the rover would be able to guide itself into and out of the wreckage site. In addition to that, with a carbon dioxide gas sensor, a methane gas sensor and an image processing system working in tandem, the robot would have the capability to successfully detect dead bodies and potential survivors. With the aid of the locator system interfaced with a GUI, the location of the dead bodies and/or survivors can be tagged while their distances from the rescuers can be determined by the robot's operator. To ensure uninterrupted communication throughout, a custom wireless communication system was developed based on existing Wi-Fi repeater technology. The entire system was rigorously field-tested for accuracy and reliability.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"35 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121234698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239267
Griffin Drake, K. Harris, Monica Heng, Ben Appleby, Lucas Freiberg, P. Harding, Nick AuYeung
Solar thermal energy has the potential to supply clean energy for applications such as heating or cooking, however times of high solar intensity are often misaligned with the diurnal or seasonal demand for thermal energy. Solar thermochemical energy storage systems (STESS) based on reversible reactions are promising solutions due to their high volumetric energy density and ability to store energy indefinitely. Reversible salt hydrate reactions are functional at low decomposition temperatures and have higher energy densities than sensible or latent heat storage. To enhance heat transfer, improve durability, and prevent agglomeration, a non-reactive matrix material is used, typically made of porous substances such as activated carbon, vermiculite, or expanded graphite. Presented here is a proof-of-concept which addresses the challenge of storing thermal energy on a seasonal or diurnal timeframe with a hybrid evacuated tube-solar concentrator reactor. Discharge temperatures of the prototype are relevant for ubiquitous residential thermal needs such as hot water or cooking. Experimental testing has proven the material can be sufficiently scaled. Outdoor trials showed that this reactor design can achieve significant desorption at the required temperatures with minimal tracking efforts, especially when augmented with provisions to increase mass flow. Included is a discussion of a future vision of how energy impoverished areas can benefit from this concept.
{"title":"Development of a small-scale solar thermochemical energy storage system","authors":"Griffin Drake, K. Harris, Monica Heng, Ben Appleby, Lucas Freiberg, P. Harding, Nick AuYeung","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239267","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239267","url":null,"abstract":"Solar thermal energy has the potential to supply clean energy for applications such as heating or cooking, however times of high solar intensity are often misaligned with the diurnal or seasonal demand for thermal energy. Solar thermochemical energy storage systems (STESS) based on reversible reactions are promising solutions due to their high volumetric energy density and ability to store energy indefinitely. Reversible salt hydrate reactions are functional at low decomposition temperatures and have higher energy densities than sensible or latent heat storage. To enhance heat transfer, improve durability, and prevent agglomeration, a non-reactive matrix material is used, typically made of porous substances such as activated carbon, vermiculite, or expanded graphite. Presented here is a proof-of-concept which addresses the challenge of storing thermal energy on a seasonal or diurnal timeframe with a hybrid evacuated tube-solar concentrator reactor. Discharge temperatures of the prototype are relevant for ubiquitous residential thermal needs such as hot water or cooking. Experimental testing has proven the material can be sufficiently scaled. Outdoor trials showed that this reactor design can achieve significant desorption at the required temperatures with minimal tracking efforts, especially when augmented with provisions to increase mass flow. Included is a discussion of a future vision of how energy impoverished areas can benefit from this concept.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"118 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128146653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239257
M. Shields, Lisa Zhao, M. Salmon, Lucy Pieterse
Green Trust, Kilowatts for Humanity, Seattle University and General Electric's We Share the Power installed a 2.4 kW solar energy kiosk in Chalokwa, Zambia. Green Trust has kept detailed records of the kiosk expenses and revenue sources, permitting a high fidelity analysis of the different aspects of the business operations. Gross profits are presented for different revenue sources, including non-perishable foods, frozen meats and fish, soft drinks, cellphone airtime, and solar home kits. After six months of operation the original business plan assumptions are revisited and compared to kiosk operation. This analysis results in a revised framework for updating the current business plan and improving on future plans of off-grid energy kiosks. A number of changes to the kiosk business model are proposed and analyzed, such as revising the pricing structure of products to improve community access/sales, pivoting to new revenue sources, and future potential business opportunities.
绿色信托、千瓦人类、西雅图大学和通用电气的We Share the Power在赞比亚的Chalokwa安装了一个2.4千瓦的太阳能终端。绿色信托保存了资讯亭费用和收入来源的详细记录，可以对业务运作的各个方面进行高保真的分析。毛利是针对不同的收入来源提出的，包括不易腐烂的食品、冷冻肉类和鱼类、软饮料、手机通话时间和太阳能家庭套件。在六个月的运营后，重新审视了最初的商业计划假设，并将其与kiosk运营进行了比较。这一分析的结果是一个修订框架，用于更新当前的业务计划和改进离网能源亭的未来计划。本文提出并分析了资讯亭商业模式的一些变化，例如修改产品的定价结构以改善社区访问/销售，转向新的收入来源，以及未来潜在的商业机会。
{"title":"Business operations for a solar energy kiosk in Chalokwa, Zambia","authors":"M. Shields, Lisa Zhao, M. Salmon, Lucy Pieterse","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239257","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239257","url":null,"abstract":"Green Trust, Kilowatts for Humanity, Seattle University and General Electric's We Share the Power installed a 2.4 kW solar energy kiosk in Chalokwa, Zambia. Green Trust has kept detailed records of the kiosk expenses and revenue sources, permitting a high fidelity analysis of the different aspects of the business operations. Gross profits are presented for different revenue sources, including non-perishable foods, frozen meats and fish, soft drinks, cellphone airtime, and solar home kits. After six months of operation the original business plan assumptions are revisited and compared to kiosk operation. This analysis results in a revised framework for updating the current business plan and improving on future plans of off-grid energy kiosks. A number of changes to the kiosk business model are proposed and analyzed, such as revising the pricing structure of products to improve community access/sales, pivoting to new revenue sources, and future potential business opportunities.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":" 29","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132011936","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239264
S. Byrnes, B. Weigl
Biomarkers are objective indications of a medical state that can be measured accurately and reproducibly. Traditional biomarkers enable diagnosis of disease through detection of disease-specific molecular signatures or distinct physiological or anatomical signatures. This work provides a framework for selecting biomarkers that are most likely to provide useful information about a patient's disease state. Though we emphasize markers related to disease, this work is also applicable to biomarkers for monitoring physiological changes such as ovulation or pregnancy. Additionally, our scope was restricted to biomarkers that are amenable to analytical detection across a range of health care levels, including low resource settings. We describe the trade-offs between biomarkers' sensitivity/specificity for a disease-causing agent, the complexity of detection, and how this knowledge can be applied to the development of diagnostic tests. This report also details additional assessment criteria for successful tests. Biomarker selection should primarily be driven by an attempt to answer an explicit clinical question (preferably causative relationship of the biomarker to pathogenesis), and only then by test development expediency (ease of detection). This framework is useful for stakeholders from test developers to clinicians to identify the trade-offs for diagnostic biomarkers for any use case.
{"title":"Selecting analytical biomarkers for developing diagnostic technologies for global health applications: Conference topics — Healthcare (medical technology)","authors":"S. Byrnes, B. Weigl","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239264","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239264","url":null,"abstract":"Biomarkers are objective indications of a medical state that can be measured accurately and reproducibly. Traditional biomarkers enable diagnosis of disease through detection of disease-specific molecular signatures or distinct physiological or anatomical signatures. This work provides a framework for selecting biomarkers that are most likely to provide useful information about a patient's disease state. Though we emphasize markers related to disease, this work is also applicable to biomarkers for monitoring physiological changes such as ovulation or pregnancy. Additionally, our scope was restricted to biomarkers that are amenable to analytical detection across a range of health care levels, including low resource settings. We describe the trade-offs between biomarkers' sensitivity/specificity for a disease-causing agent, the complexity of detection, and how this knowledge can be applied to the development of diagnostic tests. This report also details additional assessment criteria for successful tests. Biomarker selection should primarily be driven by an attempt to answer an explicit clinical question (preferably causative relationship of the biomarker to pathogenesis), and only then by test development expediency (ease of detection). This framework is useful for stakeholders from test developers to clinicians to identify the trade-offs for diagnostic biomarkers for any use case.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"92 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132429822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239249
Aaron Marquez, Michael Dunn, Jaime Ciriaco, F. Farahmand
In this paper, we report on a proof-of-concept wearable prototype, called iSeiz, that can detect specific seizure activity, namely generalized tonic-clonic, in epilepsy patients. We first describe the high-level architecture of iSeiz, and then elaborate on its hardware and software features, including its robust and low-computational intensive real-time seizure detection algorithm (SDA), as well as utilization of cloud computing for recoding, analyzing, and comparing seizure data. We conclude this paper by discussing the performance of iSeiz system in terms of its seizure detection accuracy, lifetime, and communication range.
{"title":"iSeiz: A low-cost real-time seizure detection system utilizing cloud computing","authors":"Aaron Marquez, Michael Dunn, Jaime Ciriaco, F. Farahmand","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239249","url":null,"abstract":"In this paper, we report on a proof-of-concept wearable prototype, called iSeiz, that can detect specific seizure activity, namely generalized tonic-clonic, in epilepsy patients. We first describe the high-level architecture of iSeiz, and then elaborate on its hardware and software features, including its robust and low-computational intensive real-time seizure detection algorithm (SDA), as well as utilization of cloud computing for recoding, analyzing, and comparing seizure data. We conclude this paper by discussing the performance of iSeiz system in terms of its seizure detection accuracy, lifetime, and communication range.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127600907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239297
Laura James
Distributed manufacturing, where decentralized small, local sites are engaged in production, often supported by digital systems and networks, can be a powerful tool in humanitarian aid. Field Ready uses distributed manufacturing to produce essential non-food items locally where they are needed during humanitarian responses. Such supplies can be available to communities in need and to relief workers more quickly, more cheaply than alternatives, and provide appropriate solutions to problems, often engaging local people in designing and making necessary items, and supporting economic development. Scaling up this requires local production capabilities (skills, tools, and information such as designs), which can be boosted by adoption of these methods by aid agencies, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and others. Local manufacturing offers the potential for disaster affected communities to be engaged in recovery, and long term to become more resilient, with access to all the equipment and information required to make the supplies they need. However, there are challenges: appropriate quality control for distributed manufacture, unlocking the potential for in-region manufacturers to engage in humanitarian response, and uptake of digital knowledge sharing and collaboration to the humanitarian sector. In this paper, we share experiences of human-centred design and global collaboration to solve local problems, of manufacturing in remote and challenging locations, community building and bridging sectors through the Humanitarian Makers network, and new ideas for distributed manufacturing standards and quality.
{"title":"Opportunities and challenges of distributed manufacturing for humanitarian response","authors":"Laura James","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239297","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239297","url":null,"abstract":"Distributed manufacturing, where decentralized small, local sites are engaged in production, often supported by digital systems and networks, can be a powerful tool in humanitarian aid. Field Ready uses distributed manufacturing to produce essential non-food items locally where they are needed during humanitarian responses. Such supplies can be available to communities in need and to relief workers more quickly, more cheaply than alternatives, and provide appropriate solutions to problems, often engaging local people in designing and making necessary items, and supporting economic development. Scaling up this requires local production capabilities (skills, tools, and information such as designs), which can be boosted by adoption of these methods by aid agencies, international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) and others. Local manufacturing offers the potential for disaster affected communities to be engaged in recovery, and long term to become more resilient, with access to all the equipment and information required to make the supplies they need. However, there are challenges: appropriate quality control for distributed manufacture, unlocking the potential for in-region manufacturers to engage in humanitarian response, and uptake of digital knowledge sharing and collaboration to the humanitarian sector. In this paper, we share experiences of human-centred design and global collaboration to solve local problems, of manufacturing in remote and challenging locations, community building and bridging sectors through the Humanitarian Makers network, and new ideas for distributed manufacturing standards and quality.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"86 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116667961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239240
Kirsten H. Dodson, Kerry Patterson, K. Hatchell, Kevin Colvett
Over the past 12 years, the Peugeot Center for Engineering Service in Developing Communities at Lipscomb University, in conjunction with Lipscomb University's Engineering Missions, has completed nearly 50 projects in 6 different countries and served over 10,000 people. The Peugeot Center has a vision of providing opportunities for engineering students and professionals to work alongside one other to address humanitarian challenges around the world. While the Peugeot Center strives to provide a holistic, sustainable solution to humanitarian challenges, some of the past projects have not accomplished that goal. Recently, the Peugeot Center created an initiative to better understand holistic solutions and how to achieve sustainability with respect to humanitarian challenges. A major goal of this initiative is implementing a common human-centered design process throughout all future projects. As part of this goal, the Peugeot Center will assess their past projects under the light of a human-centered design process based on engineering global development. In this panel, we will present an analysis and invite discussion of three case studies as initial steps toward completing the full assessment of the Peugeot Center projects. In addition, we will begin to formulate a step-by-step vision for improving the Peugeot Center's methodology for solution implementation.
{"title":"Panel: An initial assessment of the Peugeot Center's completed projects and a look forward to the future","authors":"Kirsten H. Dodson, Kerry Patterson, K. Hatchell, Kevin Colvett","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239240","url":null,"abstract":"Over the past 12 years, the Peugeot Center for Engineering Service in Developing Communities at Lipscomb University, in conjunction with Lipscomb University's Engineering Missions, has completed nearly 50 projects in 6 different countries and served over 10,000 people. The Peugeot Center has a vision of providing opportunities for engineering students and professionals to work alongside one other to address humanitarian challenges around the world. While the Peugeot Center strives to provide a holistic, sustainable solution to humanitarian challenges, some of the past projects have not accomplished that goal. Recently, the Peugeot Center created an initiative to better understand holistic solutions and how to achieve sustainability with respect to humanitarian challenges. A major goal of this initiative is implementing a common human-centered design process throughout all future projects. As part of this goal, the Peugeot Center will assess their past projects under the light of a human-centered design process based on engineering global development. In this panel, we will present an analysis and invite discussion of three case studies as initial steps toward completing the full assessment of the Peugeot Center projects. In addition, we will begin to formulate a step-by-step vision for improving the Peugeot Center's methodology for solution implementation.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"129268039","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239327
G. Abrajano, C. Favila, Chiang-Yi Luo, E. M. Trono, D. Lagazo, Benjz Sevilla, J. L. E. Honrado, Dominic B. Solpico, Joshua Yu, Kyle Chua, John Paul A. Mamaradlo, Carlex Jose, J. Yao, Jane Arleth dela Cruz, Ellice Ancheta, April Domingo, M. Ong, Jynariz Datuin, K. Yasumoto, Nathaniel J. C. Libatique, G. Tangonan
We developed an approach to a resilient communications system for post-disaster situations that make use of cooperative missions involving multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), ground teams, and vehicle communication hubs (VHUB). In this paper, we will discuss how the communication system can operate even without relying on conventional communication networks such as the cellular network and Internet, which we assume may not be available in a post-disaster scenario, by using the concept of delay-tolerant networks (DTN). By using sub-GHz radio frequencies, we can also extend the range of transmission of responder nodes from several hundred meters to a few kilometers, allowing for the ground-to-ground and ground-to-sky communications. We will also discuss and demonstrate the components of the system and several applications on victim finding, rescue, and identification. Other key capabilities of the decision support node include mapping and visualization of disaster area and victim locations, information dissemination through ad-hoc broadcast messaging, and other disaster mobile kiosk applications. We envision the technical approach discussed in this paper to eventually be deployed in future post-disaster decision-support systems based on accurate situational awareness data. Maps, videos, and other post-disaster operational information will eventually be provided to partner organizations in an effective and timely manner.
{"title":"Demonstrations of post-disaster resilient communications and decision-support platform with UAVs, ground teams and vehicles using delay-tolerant information networks on sub-GHz frequencies","authors":"G. Abrajano, C. Favila, Chiang-Yi Luo, E. M. Trono, D. Lagazo, Benjz Sevilla, J. L. E. Honrado, Dominic B. Solpico, Joshua Yu, Kyle Chua, John Paul A. Mamaradlo, Carlex Jose, J. Yao, Jane Arleth dela Cruz, Ellice Ancheta, April Domingo, M. Ong, Jynariz Datuin, K. Yasumoto, Nathaniel J. C. Libatique, G. Tangonan","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239327","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239327","url":null,"abstract":"We developed an approach to a resilient communications system for post-disaster situations that make use of cooperative missions involving multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), ground teams, and vehicle communication hubs (VHUB). In this paper, we will discuss how the communication system can operate even without relying on conventional communication networks such as the cellular network and Internet, which we assume may not be available in a post-disaster scenario, by using the concept of delay-tolerant networks (DTN). By using sub-GHz radio frequencies, we can also extend the range of transmission of responder nodes from several hundred meters to a few kilometers, allowing for the ground-to-ground and ground-to-sky communications. We will also discuss and demonstrate the components of the system and several applications on victim finding, rescue, and identification. Other key capabilities of the decision support node include mapping and visualization of disaster area and victim locations, information dissemination through ad-hoc broadcast messaging, and other disaster mobile kiosk applications. We envision the technical approach discussed in this paper to eventually be deployed in future post-disaster decision-support systems based on accurate situational awareness data. Maps, videos, and other post-disaster operational information will eventually be provided to partner organizations in an effective and timely manner.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"4 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127239004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-10-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239291
Harish T. Mohan, Lauriane Masson, Sreevalsa Kolathayarline, K. Sharma, Monish, A. Krishnan, S. K. Thiviya, R. Mohan
Developing nations like India face major challenges in their developmental efforts due to issues related to waste management and open defecation. While the urban community faces challenges related to plastic waste which has become almost all pervasive, the rural counterpart's open defecation continues to pose significant health threats. Lack of large-scale utilization of plastic from the urban population has been a challenge for civic administrators. The state is same as the rural population in terms of adequate sanitation infrastructure due to the cost of raw materials and lack of skilled workers. This paper discusses a potential solution to address these issues in concern; i.e. transforming urban plastic waste into interlocking construction blocks and then to construct low-cost, rapid build toilets. A study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of using LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene), HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) (major sources of waste) with easily procurable materials like sand, rice husk and saw dust, in different proportions to create the interlocking blocks. The study included a comparison of the mechanical and thermal properties of different proportions of raw materials to find the optimum composition. The paper also discusses the design and construction of toilet structure based on the (1) acceptance of the rural community, (2) construction with interlocking bricks method, and (3) availability of resources. The environmental and economic sustainability advantages of the proposed solution with very minimum skills, fewer construction materials, and shorter build time as compared to conventional methods have also been explored in this paper.
{"title":"Transforming urban waste into construction blocks for a sanitation infrastructure: A step towards addressing rural open defecation","authors":"Harish T. Mohan, Lauriane Masson, Sreevalsa Kolathayarline, K. Sharma, Monish, A. Krishnan, S. K. Thiviya, R. Mohan","doi":"10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239291","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239291","url":null,"abstract":"Developing nations like India face major challenges in their developmental efforts due to issues related to waste management and open defecation. While the urban community faces challenges related to plastic waste which has become almost all pervasive, the rural counterpart's open defecation continues to pose significant health threats. Lack of large-scale utilization of plastic from the urban population has been a challenge for civic administrators. The state is same as the rural population in terms of adequate sanitation infrastructure due to the cost of raw materials and lack of skilled workers. This paper discusses a potential solution to address these issues in concern; i.e. transforming urban plastic waste into interlocking construction blocks and then to construct low-cost, rapid build toilets. A study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of using LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene), HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) (major sources of waste) with easily procurable materials like sand, rice husk and saw dust, in different proportions to create the interlocking blocks. The study included a comparison of the mechanical and thermal properties of different proportions of raw materials to find the optimum composition. The paper also discusses the design and construction of toilet structure based on the (1) acceptance of the rural community, (2) construction with interlocking bricks method, and (3) availability of resources. The environmental and economic sustainability advantages of the proposed solution with very minimum skills, fewer construction materials, and shorter build time as compared to conventional methods have also been explored in this paper.","PeriodicalId":248924,"journal":{"name":"2017 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference (GHTC)","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115210220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 1900-01-01DOI: 10.1109/GHTC.2017.8239290
R. Maia, I. Netto, A. Tran
Soil and nutrient depletion from intensive use of land is a critical issue for food production. An understanding of whether the soil is adequately treated with appropriate crop management practices in real-time during production cycles could prevent soil erosion and the overuse of natural or artificial resources to keep the soil healthy and suitable for planting. Precision agriculture traditionally uses expensive techniques to monitor the health of soil and crops including images from satellites and airplanes. Recently there are several studies using drones and a multitude of sensors connected to farm machinery to observe and measure the health of soil and crops during planting and harvesting. This paper describes a real-time, in-situ agricultural internet of things (IoT) device designed to monitor the state of the soil and the environment. This device was designed to be compatible with open hardware and it is composed of temperature and humidity sensors (soil and environment), electrical conductivity of the soil and luminosity, Global Positioning System (GPS) and a ZigBee radio for data communication. The field trial involved soil testing and measurements of the local climate in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The measurements of soil temperature, humidity and conductivity are used to monitor soil conditions. The local climate data could be used to support decisions about irrigation and other activities related to crop health. On-going research includes methods to reduce the consumption of energy and increase the number of sensors. Future applications include the use of the IoT device to detect fire in crops, a common problem in sugar cane crops and the integration of the IoT device with irrigation management systems to improve water usage.
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