By Tom Jackson
East Africa has been looking to establish itself as a
technological hub ever since the arrival of several fibre-optic submarine
cables significantly increased the available bandwidth in the region. Countries
such as Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda have created some of the most innovative tech
products in the world since then. Venture Africa's Tom Jackson looks at five of
the best.
Nduru (Kenya)
‘Nduru’ is a Kenyan phone application that allows people to
reduce their chances of disaster on the country’s notorious roads by reporting
accidents or any other volatile situations, such as reckless drivers and
dangerous vehicles.
Software developer Thomas Kioko has developed the
application, called ‘Nduru’ after the Swahili word for ‘scream’.
Kenya is amongst the most dangerous motoring countries in
the world, with parliament regularly debating how to help the country improve
on its rating for having the fifth most dangerous roads in the world. Out of
every 100,000 vehicles, 510 are involved in fatal accidents in Kenya compared
to 260 in South Africa and 20 in the UK. There were 7,596 accidents recorded in
2011 with 3,005 fatalities. With more than 28 million mobile phone subscribers
in Kenya, the hope is that the widening reach of the mobile phone will help
increase road safety.
It allows users to report dangerous drivers or vehicles as
well as corrupt police officers. It allows users to flag situations that could
potentially lead to an accident before they do. It also provides crucial
information such as first aid tutorials, emergency numbers, details of accident
black spots and the nearest emergency services.
Bomb detection device
(Kenya)
Three Ugandan A-Level students have invented a device that
can detect and detonate bombs, particularly the Improvised Explosive Devices
(IEDs) commonly used by the terrorists that have blighted East Africa in recent
years.
The students have recently concluded their S6 examination
and will be starting at university in August.
The device, designed by students Alvin Kabwama, David
Tusubira and Nigel Kinyera with the help of Makerere lecturer Cosmas
Mwikyirize, uses Bluetooth for movement control and Wi-Fi to send signals. It
can be steered through suspected bombsites using a remote control within a
twenty meters radius, minimizing the risk to counter-terrorism officers. It is
particularly designed to detonate the improvised devices that are increasingly
popular with terrorists. Scores were killed in a bomb blast in Kampala in 2010
while Kenya has been the target for a number of blasts in the last year. It is
the third robot prototype that the college has developed.
eLimu (Kenya)
Containing revision content, exam tips, quizzes and
educational songs, eLimu is bidding to tackle the high dropout rates between
primary and secondary school in Kenya.
The tablet, which is also available as an app, is easily
navigable and specifically designed to focus on the core primary subjects. It
has a simple design and includes features such as 3-D animations to help
students understand complex ideas, games to strengthen cognitive thinking, quizzes,
and access to online Q&A forums with teachers.
Loaded with revision content for each of the six primary
courses and games, quizzes and assessments that test children on what they have
learnt, the tablet is to be piloted in two Kenyan schools next month. It has
been designed to use technology to combat the poor standard of teaching in
Kenyan schools, which has resulted in poor exam results and a dropout rate of
40 per cent at the end of primary education. By providing focused content as
well as teaching aids, it is hoped that e-Limu will improve the provision of
education in Kenya. Studies conducted once rollout has taken place will
establish the true impact of technology on education in Kenya.
“There are few student-centric approaches in the Kenyan
education system, and that is our focus, getting students engaged,” says
founder Nivi Mukherjee. “It shouldn’t be a one way street; there should be a
focus on fun and creativity.”
Instant Wild
Application (Kenya)
The Instant Wild App has been developed to stream images of
animals from camera traps in Kenya.
Though of great benefit to those seeking an online or mobile
safari, the Instant Wild App is designed to aid conservation by monitoring
diversity and allowing viewers to help identify images of animals on their
mobile or web browser.
The free application has been released by the Zoological
Society of London (ZSL) and also streams images from camera traps in Sri Lanka
and Mongolia. Cameras are also to be established in Nepal and Indonesia. ZSL
and its partners run a network of 50 traps around the world, but by configuring,
five of the cameras to upload images to Instant Wild have invited citizen
conservationists to help in the task of identifying different animals given the
sheer magnitude of the task.
“If enough people identify something as a lion or an
elephant shrew, we can be pretty sure that’s what it is,” said Jonathan
Baillie, conservation programme director at EDGE of Existence, the ZSL
programme that hosts Instant Wild. “When there’s high certainty, we don’t have
to check the data. If there is low certainty, we look at the data. It reduces
the amount of time needed by hours and hours.”
MedAfrica (Kenya)
The MedAfrica app, developed by Shimba Mobile, allows
patients and doctors to communicate through it. It allows users to access
contacts for and information about various doctors, view nearby hospitals and
search symptoms. A systematic diagnosis feature informs users about possible
ailments and connects them to suitable specialists.
The company also has plans to add to the application’s
features in the near future. A data feed from the Ministry of Health with
information of outbreaks of diseases is high on the agenda, along with a
feature where users can rate and recommend doctors. Forums will also be added,
as well as predefined alerts to remind users about important events such as
baby vaccinations.
With the ratio of patients to doctors in Kenya standing at
approximately 6000 to one and a serious problem with unlicensed clinics and
doctors, the application represents an effort to connect Kenyan’s with genuine
healthcare and advice at the press of a button. A shortage of public
information on health has made people susceptible to being taken advantage of
by unlicensed doctors, with expired medicine handed out and 22 illegal clinics
closed down last autumn alone. Kenya’s Medical Practitioners and Dentists’
Board supply MedAfrica’s list of practitioners. With more than 25 million
Kenyans owning a mobile phone, it is hoped that the application will provide
easier access to medical advice and facilities than is otherwise available.
Adapted from: Venture Africa
No comments:
Post a Comment