IEEE SIGHT Projects

This humanitarian project would utilize state of the art technology for reducing the dangers, injuries and fatalities resulting from hard to detect downed and energized electrical conductors. The proposal is to develop grass roots research, development and implementation of HIF protection on power systems throughout the world with initial concentration in developing countries. The project is intended to be the startup for a long-term effort on improving electrical safety in individual countries throughout the world. IEEE would be taking the lead for the HIF Detection Project with the intent that there will become an incentive for manufacturers and utilities to implement such systems as a routine requirement for power system protection schemes. The potential market and the potential reduction on injuries/fatalities market is quite large.

Project Location: United States & India

SIGHT Group Affiliation: IEEE IAS (Industry Applications Society) SIGHT

In this project, we propose the Implementation (testbed) of a Hybrid Wireless Ad Hoc Network Design to ensure communication means in order to: grasp the information in a disaster area, contribute to resident’s safety and deliver goods on the occurrence of a disaster.

Project Location: Nicaragua

SIGHT Group Affiliation: TIC SIGHT Nicaragua

Group Contact/More Information: marao@ibw.com.ni

The project consists of the recovery of a park that has been forgotten for the past decade, even becoming a hostile environment for the people living close by. Neighbors, foundations like META and CONAF and the PUCV university have partnered to carry forward the mission of embellishing the space with a playground, games, and even an orchard. The last remaining step is to install lighting.

Project Location: Chile

SIGHT Group Affiliation: PUCV SIGHT

Children on the autism spectrum vary enormously from each other but they all have impaired social interaction skills of one kind or another. A big difference can be made using technological support for improving social interaction among autistic and special education needs children. This proposal seeks to provide an inclusive multi-sensory space development that encourages active engagement through motion. The project will give kids with special needs the opportunity to influence and interact with other children through movement, exploration and collaboration in an edutainment and safe environment. For this project, a well-known charity in the region called Stepping Stones Play and Learn Group has been selected (https://www.steppingstonesplayandlearn.org/). This small charity is based in Colchester, Essex in an area which is recognised as economically-deprived. The main service of Stepping Stones is an integrated nursery for children with additional needs and also mainstreamers, aged 2 - 5 to play, learn and develop alongside each other. The charity also run a weekly Tots Group for babies with special needs, After School and Holiday Clubs for school aged children age 5 -18 with complex needs and a monthly Family Stay & Play session. The Group therefore supports children/young people aged from 0 - 18. Stepping Stones is open five days a week and children attend full days depending on the child’s individual needs and parental aims. The institution has a very high staff ratio as children with additional needs have a one-to-one key worker which enables them to access the activities in the group. They work with outside agencies e.g. physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, etc. A research was carried out in order to find the best supplier who can meet Special Education Needs (SEN). After a comprehensive comparison, it was found OM Interactive (www.omi.uk) was the best provider with 14 years’ experience developing their products and technology. OM Interactive was the first company to introduce interactive projections into the field of Sensory Education in 2005. OM Interactive manufacture mobile or fix projectors with motion-activated sensory technology. They offer an autistic pack with more than 200 applications that can be programmed according to the children needs and curriculum expectations. OM Interactive supports National Autistic Society, Cancer Research UK and Dementia UK.

Project Location: United Kingdom

SIGHT Group Affiliation: UK & Ireland Section SIGHT

The ICTCCD are physical and multi-functional technical spaces serving more than 21 communities of the RAAN region in Nicaragua. The main objective of the collaborative and technological space is to provide an educational and productive relationship among farmers, villagers and families living in isolated remote communities that lack of electricity and internet access, also will provide a social and inter-cultural component to promote dialogue and exchange among users and will help to restructure the community development plans. This program is in partnership with INGES, a non-profit organization from Nicaragua and IEEE SIGHT Bridges volunteers will be a long term project (10 years) under the supervision of INGES personnel, volunteers and community leaders and aims to identify the current needs and challenges in the communities.

Project Location: Nicarauga

Group Contact/More Information: mario.ale1@gmail.com

Mukujju Health Center IV takes care of a community whereby most mothers receive maternity services in an underserved and risky environment. This environment exposes child bearing mothers to risks such as maternal and child deaths, persistent sicknesses and sometimes, avoidable disabilities and injuries. Also, patients suffering from other diseases are exposed to high risks of deaths and ill-health simply because of lack of reliable source that could facilitate their efficient treatment. This is partly because the health center is not connected to the national electricity grid which could be a source of hydro-power to facilitate the provision of health care services of different kinds. The proposed project therefore aims at setting up, installing and operationalizing a solar energy system (PV) that could provide sufficient, dependable and sustainable energy that could facilitate the provision of health care services at MUKUJJU HEALTH CENTER IV in a sufficient and reliable manner. That way, the benefits of the project will keep-off risks like giving birth under insufficient lighting which usually results in maternal and child deaths. The project will also serve as a source of energy required for the operation of the selected equipment at the Health center. The same energy will also be used for phone charging that could enable patients to communicate with their relatives when need arises. The same phone charging services could enable the health workers at the center to make the necessary and timely communication which in-turn could save the lives of their patients.

Project Location: Uganda

SIGHT Group Affiliation: IEEE Uganda Section SIGHT

This SIGHT project will benefit the Seetharampuram village in Andhra Pradesh, India. The village’s population of 300 families have a problem of wild boars that destroy their crops, so this team will install a laser system that automatically detects the animals before they enter the field and will scare them away by flashing lights and an alarm. Every time the animals trigger the device a different sound and light pattern will be generated so that the animals won’t get used to it. It will also send a message to a connected phone to warn the farmers, who can go and check their fields if necessary.

Project Location: India

SIGHT Group Affiliation: Humanitarian Technologies (HuT) SIGHT