HTML

Status:

Concept

Programming languages:

Frameworks:

End user environments:

https://github.com/senorpasajero/corruptly

Mobile

Desktop

Server requirements:

EC2 Amazon

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

Exeter, UK

Images and Video:

Seeking people with skills in:

Java

dropwizard

Participa

Summary:

Colombian Legislation requires candidates to do their advertisement according to several rules, including expending tops, allowed places to advertise, allowed kinds of media, etc.

This is supposed to make elections more fair and accesible for more candidates, and avoid that over wealthy candidates gain an advantage. However, many of them do not respect this rules, surpass the expending limits, make illegal use of advertisement, or receive in their campaigns money from illegal sources, including terrorist groups or drug capos.

With Participa citizens can submit information they see about the candidates and their expending, whether they are legally placed or not, this information can help know more about the candidate, his expenditure, his benavioural ethics, and raise awareness about them.

Why we are working on this problem:

We believe in a better world, and governmen and governants do play an important role in this, helping make elections fairer chances are better people will arrive at public positions.

What we accomplished during the event:

We have a working demo that when feed with the proper information can show reports and all sort of information.

Citizens can upload information from our mobile app or via the website.

Progress made since the event:

We are still in the event.=D

Traction:

Iea has been spread between our close network, and it has been well accepted.

Next steps:

After winning, and being selected we hope to contribute and maintain the application to help make sure is serving its purpose and include any functionality that could be require to meet this goal.

Code Repository:

Category:

Status:

Field tested

Programming languages:

Frameworks:

End user environments:

Hacks Against Corruption Bogota

Mobile

Server requirements:

Heroku would do well, is probably the best easiest to use server for ruby.

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

Images and Video:

CharityViz: Making IATI data easily accessible from web sites

Website/App store links:

http://rhoksoton.github.com/CharityViz/

Summary:

IATI is a global transparency standard that makes information about aid spending easier to access, use and understand. This data has been made available as linked data on Kasabi at http://kasabi.com/dataset/iati, but this is not in a form suitable for `regular' consumption. To address this we have created the CharityViz jQuery plugin, designed to be simple to use on any page from project web sites to blogs. By adding a few lines of HTML to the page, projects in the IATI dataset that are marked in the text can be visualized. When rolled over, a map is shown with the project location, and some basic information is given. When clicked, a full description is shown, transactions are detailed, and contact information for the organisation is provided. There is also a link back to the original data from which the visualisation was created.

Why we are working on this problem:

The team has backgrounds in Linked Data and web development, and are keen to make this data more accessible. CharityViz was the ideal opportunity - making data that might otherwise remain hidden visible.

What we accomplished during the event:

The first version of the jQuery plugin is available to download and install, and works well! For more details see our presentation

Traction:

We've had positive feedback from members of the IATI community, even before completion.

Next steps:

We aim to make the software even simpler to deploy - ideally only one or two lines of HTML should be required to get international aid activity information visible.

Code Repository:

https://github.com/rhoksoton/charityviz/

Category:

Status:

Programming languages:

Frameworks:

End user environments:

https://github.com/rhoksoton/charityviz/issues

Mobile

Server requirements:

Just the means to serve HTML.

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

RHoK Global June 2012

Images and Video:

Issue Tracker:

Development of an operational water stress product from satellite imagery

Website/App store links:

http://rhoksoton.github.com/WaterMe/

Summary:

This solution aims to solve the problem listed http://www.rhok.org/problems/development-operational-water-stress-produc.... It does all of the required parts (producing NDWI product and viewing via maps), and some of the extended ideas (for example, time series plotting of an individual pixel).

Why we are working on this problem:

We thought this problem was particularly important in an era of changing climate. The area affected by droughts, and therefore the number of people affected, is only likely to increase over time.

Currently there are a number of sources of information about drought, but most of these focus entirely on the meteorological events - eg. the amount of precipitation falling in an area. We felt that the state of the vegetation in an area was of more importance - both as it gives a good idea of the real-world impact of the drought, and because of the effect that droughts can have on crops, and therefore on humans.

What we accomplished during the event:

We have made available NDWI data that was previously unavailable, except to remote-sensing specialists, through an easy to use interface.

The work was split into two components:

WaterMeFeeder - This downloads MODIS tiles from the NASA FTP servers, processes them to reproject the data and calculate NDWI, removes clouds and water areas, and then stores the resulting points in a MySQL database. It is written in Python, and uses a number of libraries including GDAL, pyMySQL and NumPy. It is feature complete, well documented with comments, and shouldn't need much more work.

WaterMe - This provides the API and user interface for the data. The API is written in node.js, and provides a number of functions to return data in JSON format. The user-interface uses 'Leaflet' - an open-source mapping library - to overlay data points on OpenStreetMap data.

All software used is open-source, apart from the MODIS Reprojection Tool, which is freely available after registration through NASA.

Progress made since the event:

N/A - We are writing this during the event!

Next steps:

Continue the project - seek funding, and set up automated processing routine on a server to ensure that the latest MODIS data is imported to the database as soon as it is released. Continue to develop the front-end - possibly including tile-based maps and time-series mapping - as well as improving the performance.

We are also hoping to develop interfaces more suited to those in developing countries - for example, providing access to the data via SMS.

Community help:

We will need resources - to store all of the past MODIS data and have space to expand, we would need significant storage space both for HDF files, tiles and databases.

We will also need to validate the data (both for accuracy of location and NDWI data) - this may involve crowdsourcing data - and it may be suitable to involve some other remote-sensing scientists in the project.

Code Repository:

http://rhoksoton.github.com/WaterMe/

Category:

Status:

Programming languages:

Frameworks:

End user environments:

Southampton, United Kingdom

Server requirements:

Large storage space to allow global data with a long time series (back to 2000).

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

Images and Video:

Integrating Microtasking into Existing Crowdsource workflows

Summary:

Have PyBossa running and have begun spec on the data interchange process.

Problem:

http://www.rhok.org/problems/integrating-microtasking-existing-crowdsour...

Why we are working on this problem:

There is a great deal of lost productivity and confusion from running multiple unlinked applications to coordinate volunteer activities.

Microtasking is extremely effective for successful crowdsource projects.

A generic framework to break out broad ranging tasks into specific manageable ones requires far less training of new volunteers, faster process of getting 'up to speed' by experienced volunteers and ability to provide assistance to other tasks outside of the volunteers traditional field of expertise.

What we accomplished during the event:

Problem definition

Novel approach decision

PyBossa set up, functioning

Next steps:

build parser/importer to populate task stack

build exporter to update task source environment

Code Repository:

https://github.com/rgrp/pybossa-geodemo

Category:

Status:

Programming languages:

python

JavaScript

HTML

End user environments:

https://github.com/keturn/kapspeak

Images and Video:

KAPspeak

Website/App store links:

Summary:

We've added a standard: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0Bxx77...

And, we've also created a form that leverages this standard, allowing legislator's offices to easily add this form to their website to quickly auto-generate the standard and send emails to their office. The steps we're working on include:

-Geo-coded zipcode +4

-Legislative bill look up for Washington State and State of Oregon.

We've accomplished a form standardization process.

Next steps:

Link it to different states to aut

Why we are working on this problem:

Antiquated technology and communications tools in the legislative process is leading to citizens’ emails becoming poorly managed, overwhelming files of emails, managed by understaffed offices who are desperately trying to respond to emails and track the top issues they’re being emailed on. Citizens don’t feel heard. This is leading to a real disconnect in our democracy between those elected to pass laws and the constituents who elect them.

The email overload in legislatures is one of the root causes of our modern, dysfunctional legislative process. By enabling lawmakers to easily post an email-send form which leverages the BAH (Basic Advocacy Headline) standard, legislators can receive tagged, easy-to organize emails which assist them in reading and responding to their constituents.

What we accomplished during the event:

Developed a standard format for advocacy email subject headlines with allows for easy email management in legislators offices, even with the most basic email management system in use. See BAH standard.
Leveraged this standard in creation of a free, imbedable form which sends advocacy emails to lawmakers through their own website.

Code Repository:

https://github.com/keturn/kapspeak

Category:

Status:

Programming languages:

HTML

java script

Frameworks:

jQuery

End user environments:

legislative database work

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

Portland, OR, U.S.A.

Images and Video:

Seeking people with skills in:

gmail

Mailing list:

http://groups.google.com/group/kapspeak

Coordinate

Summary:

Coordinate is a simple mobile app and database that allows emergency response officials to plot hazards in an accurate and structured manner. It allows an EOC and other response agencies to receive validated reports from responders out in the disaster area. Information can be updated out in the disaster area allowing for a better common operating picture of what hazards still need to be resolved.

Project Members:

Nick Costa

Benjamin Hitov

Avni Khatri

Eron Gjoni

Amos Scott

Justin Kates

A couple of examples of how Coordinate will be used:

A major storm has occurred resulting in many trees and power lines being brought to the ground. The Emergency Operations Center has been established to help coordinate the response. Roads need to be cleared and downed power lines need to be removed

Fire Engine 4 has been responding to emergency calls since the incident started. While traveling to calls, the Fire Officer has been plotting hazards on his smartphone with the Coordinate app. The EOC has been monitoring these hazards as he plots them in the Coordinate Web UI and map displayed in the facility.

A Public Works crew has been dispatched by the EOC to handle a tree across a roadway. They clear the tree, and the hazard that was plotted is edited to show it being cleared by Public Works at 3:30pm. The EOC sees this and knows that the road is now opened back up

The Mayor's Office has been receiving calls about downed power lines all across the City. A phone operator is taking these reports and entering them into the Coordinate Web UI. All users on Coordinate are seeing these new incidents being plotted in the system.

A citizen, about to venture out after the storm to purchase food, visits the City's website to view the roads that are still closed. He views a map on the website with information about hazards still out in the community, and determines that he should stay in his home until the roads are cleared.

Project Presentation:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hj4Vt_Q9DdIBsw48VEOy0pLx1Lt8bTZv...

Coordinate was named the winner of the December 2011 RHoK Boston event!

Why we are working on this problem:

Road obstruction information (and other hazards) is extremely difficult to coordinate after a disaster. Various response agencies are keeping logs of data without any coordination. As hazards are cleared, not all agencies know it is no longer an issue. Current hazard mapping solutions are very feature rich and not simple enough for response officials to quickly and accurately plot hazards.

What we accomplished during the event:

Lot of work was completed on both the Android and iOS app. Lot of work was completed on database.

Progress made since the event:

Work continues to be done on the entire system. A meetup is planned after the holidays to determine key focus areas to complete the project.

Traction:

There are too many Crisis Mapping projects currently going on in the Open Source community without coordination. Many of the solutions don't allow for the capability to "dim the lights" on unnecessary features.

Next steps:

To test the use of the apps and database in exercises and real events in the near future. Continue to provide an necessary functionality while keeping the project extremely simple.

Code Repository:

https://github.com/bhitov/oemweb

Category:

Status:

Programming languages:

End user environments:

http://www.slideshare.net/USSJoin/rhok-mke-watertech-solution

iOS

Android

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

Boston, MA, U.S.A.

Images and Video:

Dashboard visualizing water data from Watertech of America

Website/App store links:

Summary:

Watertech has access to many sensors spread across many companies that are used to monitor water coming into and going out of various systems. The goal of this solution is to enable a user to visualize the data collected by each of these sensors over time, and break the data down into a hierarchy defined by Company, Facility, Building, and System. We have created a system the models the structure and provides an interface to import sensor data, and a dashboard web application that lets a user select and graph individual sensors from any combination of items in the hierarchy on the same graph. These graphs can be evaluated within the application or exported to images or to CSV files that allow further analysis. Ultimately the goal is to provide a tool that allows users to evaluate their water usage and compare it to their production and to production of other companies in the same industry. This would allow companies to make more environmentally conscious decisions and create metrics about the water cost per unit of product made.

Why we are working on this problem:

We chose this problem because the problem had lots of documentation, which included a sample dataset, sample screenshots, and a list of desired features. We believe that the ability of a company to do this kind of analysis on their own data, and relate it to their bottom line, and create metrics they can use for PR, make it to a companies advantage to do good things in terms of water use and reduction of consumption.

What we accomplished during the event:

We built a data model that encompasses the entire hierarchy and structure of the incoming sensor data and in a format that will allow for the analysis in the ways desired. We created an application using ruby on rails and jquery and the graphic library highcharts that allows users to select from the hierarchy of sensor data and visualize the sensor data in time and compare it with other sensor data in the same graph. The users can export the data. We built an importing script that takes the sample datasets and imports them into the data scructure.

Progress made since the event:

N/A

Traction:

Watertech representatives were present to assist in development of the data model and demonstrate the problems they were trying to solve.

Next steps:

The next step in the process is to resolve some issues with sensor data types. Currently there is the ability to view multiple sensors on the same graph, but because they may be a thermometer compared to a flow meter, the scales can be incomparable. A next step could include better management of these different units and the ability to sum sensors to get a better idea of the total usage of a system, building, facility, or company.

Another next step involves actual analysis of the data to identify bad data or outliers, and the ability to annotate readings with notes that explain the cause of the reading.

Code Repository:

https://github.com/ussjoin/rhok67

Category:

Status:

Programming languages:

Frameworks:

End user environments:

https://github.com/stefankreitmayer/AllOrBust/

Server requirements:

Ruby on rails, mysql

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.

Images and Video:

Snappy Games: All or Bust

Summary:

SnappyGames is a group of people who met at the London Random Hacks Of Kindness event in December 2011. We got together on a weekend to develop an educational computer game targeted at teenagers, and designed specifically for use in classrooms. The game allows students to explore the complexities and uncertainties involved in purchase decisions, and how these decisions can affect their long-term financial stability.

"All or Bust" is an interactive, multi-user computer simulation that can be used as a teaching tool in classrooms. Using a network of tablet computers and large displays, students can learn together in teams, while a teacher can observe their progress and moderate discussions. This pedagogical model and the technical framework were taken from an existing gaming platform called 4Decades. 4Decades was developed by Stefan Kreitmayer and has been used in management training for business leaders.

http://play4decades.com/

In the current version of the game, players can choose for a range of consumer products whether they prefer to pay them upfront or pay by credit. To inform this decision making, the tablets provide players with a forecast of how any decision will impact their financial situation in the next year. This short-term forecast allows players to try out, compare and evaluate various options before committing to a decision. However, since the game progresses over several decades of players' lives, players need to think ahead. Coming up with good long-term strategies is a process of creative problem solving that encourages players to draw on a variety of resources and skills. Resources include

- their personal subject matter knowledge

- their personal expectations about how the simulation reflects reality

- each other's knowledge and expectations

While discussing in-game decisions, teams use and practice their communication skills, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity.

Why we are working on this problem:

Financial illiteracy is a major problem worldwide. The UK is the country in Europe with the highest level of consumer debt and there is an acute need for education. According to the Royal Bank of Scotland, half of UK 16 year olds do not know the difference between a debit card and a credit card.

There is great potential for interactive, collaborative learning experiences to resolve some of the deficits in financial literacy. Classrooms are a good place for these experiences, as they provide powerful resources that learners can interact with: peers, teachers and technology.

The challenge for educators, designers, finance experts and developers is to find ways to bring these resources into synergy.

What we accomplished during the event:

We narrowed down on a particular question that we want to help students get their heads around: "What difference does it make for me in the long run whether I pay stuff upfront or by credit?"

1. In order to provide a realistic account of the problem, we identified the essential financial principles the game needs to include.

2. To link these principles up into a meaningful, interactive learning experience, we explored various possible game mechanics. We explored which parameters should be made available for the users to change, and what time frames are meaningful and interesting.

3. Once we identified a promising core structure, we began to collect representative data for the simulation. E.g. what are realistic conditions for buying a phone, television, car, etc... in installments.

4. Simultaneously, we started designing the user interface for the game. This involved deciding for each piece of relevant information how and where it should be represented. For example, should players be able to see and compare each other's credit rating on the classroom projection screen? What information should be visualised graphically vs numerically or as text? What variables are most interesting to track over time?

5. We built a crude, very preliminary interactive prototype to test and iterate on our idea of the game mechanics.

6. We wrapped up the work of two days in a nice presentation.

Progress made since the event:

Minor improvements to the prototype, more mind mapping, planning, sketching, networking....

Traction:

MyBnk has expressed interest in collaborating with us. We are absolutely excited about this.

Next steps:

We are planning to get together with potential users, i.e. educators who are interested in integrating the game in their classroom teaching.

Their experience and judgement will be vital in the upcoming design and testing stages.

Code Repository:

Category:

Status:

Programming languages:

Processing(Java)

JavaScript(JQuery)

HTML

End user environments:

teaching financial literacy to kids in classrooms

Server requirements:

We are hoping to implement the server-side parts of the game in node.js or GWT.

What RHoK event this project is being submitted for:

London, United Kingdom

Images and Video:

Seeking people with skills in:

Seed Swap App

Summary:

Seed Swap App is a website for exchanging seeds among farmers and hobbyists.

People can upload a list of seed quantities they want to share with others, specifying species, variety, quantity and geographic location. People can also add a wishlist of seeds, and will be able to find people offering them in the surroundings, with a geographical search.

Code Repository:

https://bitbucket.org/maker/seedswapapp

Category:

Status: