[Olpc-open] [bytesforall_readers] GIS-based Community Programs.

[Seth Woodworth]

I have poked into a few projects for GIS on the XO.  There are of course
Open Street Maps and a great UK project that escapes my mind at the moment.
Most if not all of the projects for mapping or the tabulation of data onto a
map system are going to require non free flash, or non free java.  Neither
of which are great answers.  Nor do we have a low cost usb GPS system for
the XO yet.

I have also talked to a few people about some low cost weather sensors with
the group who is building the TeleHealth hardware. No progress has really
been made other than noting that we could use the same MCU uses.

Is anyone else interested in projects like these?

Seth

On Feb 18, 2008 5:34 AM, Edward Cherlin <echerlin at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Feb 16, 2008 5:15 AM, EWB Australia ICT4D Programs
> <ewb.ict4d at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Dear List Members,
> >
> > I wondered if anyone on this list knew of GIS-based grassroots ICT4D
> > projects that involved environmental resource mappings and / or
> > training on GIS systems for the purposes of community mobilisation
> > and advocacy.
>
> I brought this up at the International Symposium on Digital Earth in
> June 2007. Geographer Tim Foresman (conference chair) and several
> organizations, including CITRIS, NASA, NOAA, and OneVillage
> Foundation, expressed strong interest in the idea. With the One Laptop
> Per Child computer going into schools an countries around the world,
> it will become possible to recruit many more students to gather and
> share data on weather, air and water quality, health, wildlife,
> agriculture, and other kinds of data that are difficult or impossible
> to gather now. The XO includes a digital oscilloscope activity called
> Measure that can accept data from the built-in microphone and sound
> ports, and will be able to accept data from USB-enabled instruments of
> all kinds. These data can be cleaned, analyzed, mapped, and shared
> with the global public in order to plan for environmental protection,
> water resource management, agriculture, health, nutrition, economic
> development, and much more.
>
> See also http://www.globe.org.uk/.
> A practical environmental education project linking students, teachers
> and scientists in 109 countries
>
> Over 500 schools in the UK and over 16 Million records world-wide
>
> The GLOBE Programme enables students to measure the local environment
> at your school, and compare it with other schools around the world.
>
>
> We would be pleased to work with Engineers Without Borders on these
> and other initiatives. EWB members are also invited to join the OLPC
> mailing lists at http://lists.laptop.org/ to discuss (among other
> things) engineering education and preparations for starting every kind
> of appropriate engineering and manufacturing business with teachers,
> students, and others involved in the process.
>
> For example, I recently got the suggestion from Don Marti of
> LinuxWorld to bring minilathes made in China into our development
> process. I realized from his description that these devices qualify as
> The Industrial Revolution in a Box. They have been designed to support
> individuals in creating their own machine shops, and then going on to
> build every other kind of tool. The base units are inexpensive, and
> therefore may not be made from the best possible parts. For example,
> at least one uses bushings rather than high-quality bearings, but
> includes instructions for making the needed bearings, along with many
> other improvements. There is a substantial tutorial literature on
> these devices available at no cost. We have started discussions with
> the authors of this literature about getting it on the OLPC XO in all
> of our target languages.
>
> For another example, I met Ray Cromwell, CTO of Timepedia.org, at a
> Google Web Toolkit conference. Timepedia has a standing offer to host
> at no cost any time series data of any value to anybody. (The
> organization makes its money from consulting with companies that want
> to use the data.) Geographic time series data included. Timepedia is
> putting a lot of effort into developing translation software for the
> multitude of geographic data formats to its own format and to others
> in wide use, and to translating data from government and other
> publicly available sources.
>
> > Appreciate your input in advance,
>
> Appreciate the question.
>
> > Sriram
> >
> > ----
> > ICT4D Projects Coordinator
> > Engineers Without Borders Australia | www.ewb.org.au
>
> --
> Edward Cherlin
> End Poverty at a Profit by teaching children business
> http://www.EarthTreasury.org/
> "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."--Alan Kay
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>
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