Androids in Africa

Nick Short and Andrew Hagner RVCNiall Winters IoE

9th October 2009

The Undergraduate Research Team

• RVC has sent teams out for last 45 years

• Research projects aimed at helping farmers in developing countries by researching animal health problems

• Current team 9 students• Project on East Coast Fever in cattle

to help design vaccine protocol

Use of Phones• Collecting physical exam

data in field using Google’s Open Data Kit (ODK)

• Recording sampling locations using Twidroid

• Communicating with team members and RVC experts via Twitter, email, and Google Chat

• Updating team blog using blogger

Parameters recorded• Gender• Breed • Age• Diarrhoea• Temperature• Respiratory Rate

• Mucous membrane colour

• Lymphadenopathy• Number of ticks• Nasal Discharge• Body Condition

Score

Advantages• Quick Upload of data to Excel via

XML• Paperless• Able to communicate with whole team

at once via Twitter• Able to receive input from world

experts remotely• Could keep in contact with family,

fellow students, and donors while in field

Constraints

• -Slow GPS Function• -Cannot change

forms easily in field• -Questions linear• -Expense of devices• -No picture function

in ODK

The Phone/Platform for us?

• Pros

• Open source!

• Flexibility

• Gaining affordability

• Google apps

• Keypad

• Cons

• Touch Screen (HTC)

• GPS Function

• Office Compatibility

• Current Cost

• Learning curve

• Cannot Label Pictures

The Data Collection system for us?

• Pros

• Open source!

• Evolving thanks to a dedicated team

• Richer data than SMS

• Independence from netbook

• XML output

• Cons

• Cannot change in field

• Need for technical support

• Linear collection

• Touch screen requisite

• GPS function

• Picture Function

What Local Vets Value in Device

• Educational Tool

• Learning Resource

• Ability to record production data

• Management tool

• Ruggedness/durability

Thank you!• Nick Short- nshort@rvc.ac.uk• Andrew Hagner - ahagner@rvc.ac.uk• Niall Winters- n.winters@ioe.ac.uk