OpenHack challenges wanted

[DavidOH]

We are searching for challenges for our hackathon in Luleå, Sweden. During 48h, teams of programmers and students will try to find solutions to humanitarian problems. To keep it simple for participants we try to keep the challenges well defined and structured. If you think that you have a suitable challenge, try to answer the following questions.

Brief description of objective

(Two sentences or less)

Challenge and problem statement

Main part of the document

Background

• Please tell us about what you do and what is the background for the problem you want this challenge to solve?

Goals

• What are your goals for the future with this challenge, what would you like to achieve?

End user

• Who will be the one using the app/tool/etc

Future plans

• To what extent will you be able to take a potential solution further, resources to allocate for implementation, a mentor to support the team in further development? Or is the aim just idea generation and awareness?

Optional

• Requirements/criterias ( E.g. must run on Android OS, use Java/C++ etc.)

[DavidOH]

@Cindy Perhaps you could answer these questions for the Crowd-sourced knowledge repository?

[Cindy]

@DavidOH Ah great questions. I certainly will. It was this Friday you needed them by yeah?

[DavidOH]

Yes, if it is possible. It will then be possible for us to release the complete case in preparation for the hackathon about a week in advance.

[Cindy]

Hi @DavidOH, we’re running behind in describing our project because the space has changed significantly this last week, and we’re needing to readjust and reorientate. When is the absolute latest we need to have it to you by?

[Gien]

Also, Bernelle has two mapping projects I would like to help codify into the open hack challenge format to see if you guys can help build the app, but haven’t had time til now to sit down and define it. So, same question as Cindy, what’s the absolute deadline?

[DavidOH]

Hi, the absolute deadline would have to be 8th of March.

[Lars2i]

Not structured as asked but all information is here in a brief form on this website:

http://ipotables.net

[Gien]

Brief description of objective

Manage Day Zero queues

Develop a software app that can help manage Day Zero queues if they become unmanageable.

Challenge and problem statement
Although the possibility of Day Zero happening grows less likely, the City of Cape Town still must prepare for it. They cannot let their guard down, in case the rains do not come as expected this year. Alderman Smith of the City of Cape Town issued a request to our community during the Hackathon talks, to help them develop a solution in case Day Zero hits, and the 200 collection points become overwhelmed. If there are too many people, (ie. 15,000 at one collection point), how does the city manage this without becoming overwhelmed?

Main part of the document

Background

The city is employing the “Light Touch” system to manage the queues for Day Zero, which is essentially an honor system for collecting water. The choice was made to do this because Cape Town has a large informal community, many without proper ID. Military and police are planned to be positioned at each distribution point but they want to prevent violence from breaking out by all means. If there are huge numbers of people at a queue, what kind of chaos might ensue? How might this be managed? In some communities, the Light Touch system may not be appropriate. What are backup plans that can be developed to handle situations that may emerge?

Goals

The goal is a software app that can help manage the queue. How do we handle:

• members queuing who are authentically queuing for other family and friends who cannot make it to the queue?
• members who are taking more than their fair share of water, - who may be lying about the number of people in their family
• people who have queued but cannot physically carry a lot of water- could there be a taxi service?
• manage the queue in case they wait for hours and then have to leave. How do we remember their position?
• people threatening other people in line

End user

Anyone queuing for water. This could be anyone except for the super wealthy.

Future plans

The city of Cape Town has funding available for technology solutions for the crisis. This app may be fundable. Ask @Ianpat if Sara has provided us with that funding website yet.

Optional
It may have to be both smartphone and SMS capable, as many people do not have smartphones. Also, Irvan, of local Johannesburg company Eldo Energy, @water_boy, would like to also collaborate with anyone else developing the app and has an idea for using QR Codes.

[Gien]

Brief description of objective

Low cost water quality analysis

Develop a software app that compliments cheap, safe, user-friendly and robust tools for water quality analysis.open hardware solution for water quality monitoring.

Challenge and problem statement
@indiebio is the originator of this challenge. @Gien is submitting the idea of building software tools to the Open Hack offer to build open source apps to support the water crisis.

During the water crisis, water quality needs to be tested to ensure human health is not at risk. The crisis is causing citizens to take water management into their own hands.This increases the health risk, especially of home treatment and consuming water from springs not tested by the City of Cape Town. A system needs to be developed that results in low cost testing and yields rough quick answers.

Main part of the document

Background

Testing water for drinking water quality is complicated, need many tests and a contextual understanding. There are several groups of components potentially present in water, each needing their own special test:

• Pathogens
  *Turbidity
• Colour
• Tastes and odours
• pH and alkalinity
• Total dissolved solids
• Hardness
• Toxic inorganics
• Nitrate
• Sodium
• Iron and Manganese
• Organics
• Corrosivity

This challenge is about water analysis, but it’s really about guiding the public to learn about water, the risks associated with water and equip ourselves in making our own risk assessments. When it comes to water analysis there is no silver bullet.

For in the field analysis we have specific criteria, like measuring specific metabolites (think lactic acid or pH for cheese making, for example, or alcohol and sugar content in beer brewing).

Goals

The goal is an android software app that interfaces to open source hardware for testing water quality such as:

• Electronic: Sensors, Probes, ‘hacking’ – monitoring with e.g. Arduinos, Raspberry Pi’s, hacking, fixing, making new from old equipment. This includes smart probes: Online or sim-enabled remote probes that can sample/measure dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity and voltage (if it runs on battery/solar power)
• Biosensors: Using biology to give a qualitative or quantitative signal, including the miniSASS, microbial cell counts, enzyme based processes etc
• Green chemistry kits: aquarium kits, swimming pool tests, make your own kits, dedicated kits like the EarthEcho kit etc
• And a special category
• Photography: With special interest in the microscopic, using e.g. USB microscopes, the Foldscope – not just for analysis

End user

• students
• community water activists
• water system installers
• researchers
• citizen scientists
• city water and sanitation workers

Future plans

The city of Cape Town has funding available for technology solutions for the crisis. This app may be fundable. Ask @Ianpat if Sara has provided us with that funding website yet.

Optional

• Robust – how finicky is the solution? Do you need a working knowledge of black magic to keep it working?
• Repeatable – if we do the exact same thing three times, will we get the same answer?
• Applicable in a Range of operation – what concentration ranges (for example) does this solution work well in, is this a useful range?
• … probably more to come
• references: aquasavvy.co.za/analysis/

@RicardoRug has university researchers / students who are interested in collaborating with Open Hack on this hack.

[Gien]

Brief description of objective

Locate Vulnerable People

Develop a software app that can help locate vulnerable people who may not be able to access water on Day Zero.

Challenge and problem statement
Alderman Smith of the City of Cape Town requested our community to develop new tools that can make it easy to identify vulnerable water users throughout the city. These would be sick, isolated, elderly or infirm people who have no easy way to get to the water distribution points.

Main part of the document

Background

During Day Zero, citizens will need to travel to one of 200 water distribution points to pick up their alloted 25 Litres of water a day. But there is a large population of marginalized, sick infirm, isolated, elderly people who simply may not have the ability to fetch their allotment every day. The city does not want to create risk for these people and wants a way to find out who constitutes the vulerable population and take measures to assist them during Day Zero.

Goals

The goal is to develop a software app that can help manage the identification, management and support of vulnerable people unable to fetch water for themselves during Day Zero.

Could drivers of groups such as Uber drivers work in collaboration with this app to deliver water to vulnerable members of society? The app might follow a logical sequence like this:

1. input data from neighborhood groups
2. inform the city
3. display city water distribution / pickup point network
4. develop communication protocol with city distribution point officials to notify them of drivers who will pick up water for the identified vulnerable
5. develop communication protocol to notify Uber or other trusted driver networks to pickup and dropoff water to vulnerable members of society

End user

• Neighborhood watch
• community activist
• city workers
• NGOs
• vulnerable people
• schools and students
• emergency crew
• drivers and taxis

Future plans

The city of Cape Town has funding available for technology solutions for the crisis. This app may be fundable. Ask @Ianpat if Sara has provided us with that funding website yet.

Optional
@RicardoRug and his university network is interested to contribute to this solution and would like to create a solution for other cities as well.
@endprogresstraps emphasized the close work of Neighbourhood groups, and in fact the City of Cape Town has reached out to community groups for support to identify the vulnerable. So it may be that the neighborhood groups are potentially the most important group to use this app.This suggests one approach is to interview community groups to see what features they will find useful for the app.

[DavidOH]

Awesome work! I think that all of these could be fun to work on but I cannot guarantee that the participants will work on all of them as we leave it up to them to decide. It also looks like we may not have as many participants as we hoped but hopefully we can synchronize our efforts with @RicardoRug and get some interesting solutions.

[endprogresstraps]

alteration: “…close work of Neighbourhood Watch” groups

[Gien]

Brief description of objective

The 25 Litre Challenge.

Develop a software app that helps water users to try different options and share results to stay under 25Litres of water usage per day (this is the target of water rationing on Day Zero).

Challenge and problem statement
Should Day Zero arrive, water will be rationed at 200 distribution points across the city with 25 Litres of water allocated to each citizen of Cape Town. There may be a large number of people who may not know how live on 25 Litres/ day. This software app is a recording and educational tool that helps record, share and gamify staying under 25 Litres/day.

Main part of the document

Background

During Day Zero, citizens will need to travel to one of 200 water distribution points to pick up their alloted 25 Litres of water a day. But many people may not yet know how to live on 25 Litres/day yet. There are many different permutations of families:

• single
• couple
• couple with child
• couple with children
• couple with inlaws
• couple with children and inlaws

in addition, categories like class, geopgraphic location, etc can affect water use habits. Hence there may be many different possible permutations and there may not be a one size fits all soltuion.

Goals

The goal is to develop a software app that can help water users collectively achieve a 25 L/day consumption target.

• The app can have major categories of water use that may be common amongst specific demographics of users.
• The app can crowdsource solutions and classify each into demographics, to develop the major classes of participants.
• The app can encourage users to share tips and find their most suitable demographic category
• The app can gamify and drive engagement by offering prizes to 25 L challenge champions
• It can be syncrhonized to real, touring physical displays
• Users can easily share their demgraphic profile with others

End user

• all citizens of Cape Town with mobile app
• can be used globally in other water stressed cities

Future plans

• The app can be extended to other water stressed cities
• Couple it with a real, physical touring interactive demonstration

Optional

Investigate optional funding for development from the City of Cape Town (ask @Ianpat for email for Sara’s tech funding program)

[DavidOH]

Watercrisis.pdf (92.0 KB)

We think that the low cost water quality analysis could be difficult to do during a hackathon as it requires hardware and some understanding of water analysis that most people have little knowledge of. This document is what we will be available to the participants. Do you think it looks ok?