The IEEE Presidents’ Change the World Competition recognizes students who develop unique solutions to real-world problems using engineering, science, computing, and leadership skills to benefit their community, the world at large, or both.
UW CSE’s FoneAstra has been recognized with third place in the 2012 competition.
FoneAstra is an ARM7-based board that plugs into the data port of low-tier mobile phones. With attached sensors, custom applications can be run through FoneAstra. As a prototype, the per-unit cost of the board is $15. FoneAstra, enhanced with temperature probes, is being used for vaccine cold chain monitoring – in developing countries, this cost effective method can make vaccine implementation efficient and cut possible losses from temperatures of vaccines that are not extensively monitored. In addition, FoneAstra is being used for accurately monitoring milk temperatures by providing three levels of safety.
The FoneAstra team includes Rohit Chaudhri, William Thomas Pitts, Darivanh Vlachos, Troy Martin, Jillyn Johnson, Eleanor O’Rourke, Jaylen Scott Vanorden, Michael Falcone, Waylon Brunette, Mayank Goel, and Rita Sodt.
Congratulations! Read about the competition here. Learn more about FoneAstra here. Learn about UW’s ICTD activities – Change – here.