9 ways we’re using Technology to Code a Better World

9 Solutions that can save the day; literally! Persistent Systems in association with IBM is answering the Call for Code — an initiative that implores developers around the globe to don their coding hats for a worthy cause — disaster preparedness and relief. Read on…

1) Calamities may occur, but confusion and chaos needn’t

Calamities wouldn’t turn into disasters, if help and resources can be mobilized and delivered in time. The biggest challenge here? Not knowing whom to turn to, when the going gets precarious. Support is desperately needed here, and that’s precisely what teams at Persistent Systems will develop — a cloud-based solution called ‘Helping Hand’. The solution consists of a database linked to a mobile app, that puts all stakeholders (including government officials and NGOs) on a common platform, depending on factors like geographical area, type of calamity and functional roles required. The app will also provide a checklist of tasks to perform in order of priority, depending on the calamity, so that nothing goes unaccounted for.

2) Landslide on the way? We’ll be well out of the way

Landslides which come with no warning are the deadliest. Teams will work on developing ‘Landslide Detector’, a solution comprising of IoT sensors and a camera that takes pictures of the mountainside every 30 seconds. A processing unit will then analyze the images and sound an alarm if a landslide is imminent.

3) Donation done right — Right Resources, Right Time, Right People

When disaster strikes, donations are the need of the hour, but only when the supplies are matched to the requirements. To give people a real-time understanding of what is needed, teams will develop a cloud-based solution that will record the inventories received and distributed. The system will also leverage Machine Learning capabilities to predict the supplies needed in the near future.

4) Rescue ops will now ride high on Drones

Drones can go where humans can’t. During calamities like floods, earthquakes, it is difficult, sometimes even impossible, to reach stranded survivors. To bridge this gap, hackathon participants will develop a drone management platform that enables last mile delivery through drones. Besides dropping off essential supplies, these drones will also serve as communication extenders, and will send and receive messages.

A drone in time, saves lives!

5) Machine Learning — The best Vaccine against Epidemics.

The biggest challenge during infectious outbreaks? Identifying, characterizing and containing infectious diseases quickly. With technologies like machine learning though, this problem will soon belong to the past. At Persistent, teams will be using ML to derive crucial insights and detect diseases sooner by processing various corelated factors. Early detection can also enable pharma companies to ramp up production of crucial vaccines and drugs. In case of deadly outbreaks like Ebola, identifying the virus earlier helps give doctors and medical professionals a heads-up on the risks involved and the precautions needed to be taken while treating patients.

6) Pandemic or Pandemonium — Tackle them both!

During pandemics, rumors often spread faster than the disease itself, causing widespread mayhem. Multiple cases of false-positives pop up, making it difficult to contain and treat the problem. The good news? Technology can effectively put a stop to both panic and pandemic, by identifying breakout zones and affected patients through unique identification, automatic scanners, and data collection and analysis.

7) Fighting fires with Cloud.

Fires in enclosed spaces are bad news — lives are lost due to lack of visibility and failure to find a way out. To abate this, teams at the hackathon will develop an augmented reality mobile app that helps people orient themselves during fires. The app will show people the layout of the room and their exact position, while guiding them to the nearest safe exit, using location service technologies.

8) Track every act for better impact.

‘Speed during the hour of need’ is all well and good; but while it is necessary to provide aid with haste, it is equally important to maintain a record of the aid given. This is to track the impact of the efforts and refine processes for the future. To make this easier, teams will develop an ‘Aid Tracker’ that records various data points such as biometrics and identification details of the beneficiary, which can be used to generate detailed reports later.

9) Solving the burning issue of wildfires.

The best way to tackle a wildfire? Avert it before it starts! Teams at the hackathon will work on a wildfire detection and management system that will use satellites, sensors and (IR and visual) imagery from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). This will enable firefighters to catch wildfires before or as they start, while predicting the direction of expansion to prevent further damage. No more firefighting problems — with technology, we can now plan and prevent!

Join us as we answer the Call for Code — Commit to the Cause and Push for Change! Click here to spread the word.

Take a look at the solutions we will be building during our hackathon on August 24. https://youtu.be/VN7oBFFh6xs