Young Glory October 2014

“Come up with a tool or service to help better manage future ebola outbreaks”

Ebola spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact, but is

only contagious once the infected person starts showing symptoms.

Fever is one of the �rst symptoms to appear.

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In order to keep Ebola from spreading, we need to make sure that

people who show symptoms stay isolated.

How?

According to industry estimates, West Africa holds 188 million mobile subscribers.

Mobile does not necessarily mean smartphone but it does mean that

a) a lot of people in West Africa are connected to the Internet, often via text messaging, and that

b) a lot of people, especially younger generations, use Bluetooth to share and spread music.

It has even been said that “In much of West Africa, cell phones are used as all purpose

multimedia device.”

In other words, people in West Africa are well familiar with text messaging and Bluetooth as ways to gather and share information.

Knowing this, we came up with a tool/toy that alerts people the minute someone they know starts showing Ebola symptoms.

Introducing RingAround

It is a take on the well-known, universally loved mood ring, complete with built-in Bluetooth connection.

These rings are very cheap to make, which makes mass production possible.

The temperature sensors sit on the inside of the ring, so that they are not altered by the sun or other heat sources, and the Bluetooth sensor runs like a ribbon around the entire ring.

We’ll hand out RingAround mood rings to everyone who wants one.

(if you have kids, or have ever been a kid, you’ll know why this will be a success).

When the ring detects the bearer’s phone, it will connect to the Bluetooth.

If the wearer gets a fever, the ring will immediately notice the change in temperature and notify the phone.

The phone, in turn, will automatically send out text messages to all contacts in the phone book, and to the local CDC o�ce.

The text message will alert people to stay away from the wearer until it has been con�rmed whether he or she has Ebola.

Thanks to the constant Bluetooth connection, the mood ring will continually send information to CDC about the person’s condition.

If the fever goes away, the phone will send out a new message letting the contacts know that it was a false alarm. If instead the fever rises, the CDC knows exactly where the person is, and they can also send back text messages with personalized suggestions and advice.

RingAround mood rings are cheap to make, instantly appealing, and �ll a very speci�c purpose.

They use technology already available, make it easier for the CDC or other institutions to send targeted help, and always alert the people most susceptible to get infected — the friends of people who are already sick.

The Insomniacs Who Dream

Sources:http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/04/tech/mobile/africa-mobile-opinion/

http://research.ihub.co.ke/uploads/2012/october/1351001605_819_249.pdf http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/3/2679155/�le-sharing-west-africa-music-culturehttp://venturebeat.com/2014/01/06/csr-fashions-wearable-bluetooth-smart-jewelry/