IEEE Canada Humanitarian Initiatives

Local Engineering Achievements

Glenn McKnight and Alfredo Herrera

November 17, 2010Peterborough, On

“Advancing Technology for Humanity”

Three-year project, launched in 2008Partnership between United Nations Foundation and IEEE: bring a more systematic approach to applying technology to solve world problems

Focused on three challenges:

• Reliable Electricity

• Data Connectivity of Rural District Health Offices

• Individual ID Tied to Health Records

Humanitarian Technology Challenge (HTC)

ProjectFrameworkDefinition

ChallengeFormulation

SolutionFormulation

ProductDevelop.

Deploy. & Eval.

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5

2012201120102008 2009

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Humanitarian Technology Challenge Events1 - 2 June 2009 Challenge Conference, Washington, DCExposure of project to larger field of stakeholders 153 attendees total; exceeding expectations

60 of the 153 from outside the US Approximately equal mix of humanitarian and technology representatives

Presentations by humanitarians experienced in implementing technology in developing countries

Finalized documentation of the three selected challenges, ratified by working groups in a pre-conference meeting of 45 volunteers

26 - 28 October 2009 Solution Development Workshop, Washington, DCSeries of working sessions focused on defining plans for field tests of solution ideas

Approx. 70 people participated, exceeding expectations (reps from 15 countries) Two panels with five NGO representatives, addressing the realities of field test

implementations and field test funding and partnerships. Basic plans established for four field tests:

Providing an integrated power-on-demand electricity supply & mgmt. System Establishing a network of 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz Wi-Fi data communications links

among small rural outposts Identifying patients by facial characteristics in a clinical setting Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) linked to medical records

02/06/10 3

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Lessons learned during HTCThe quantity of resources needed to solve world problems is greater that those available to any individual or even organizations.

Many of the best solutions come from the places where there are the most needs.

Without partnerships a viable idea may never be realized; as the HTC personal ID working group found out when they lost contact with the clinic they were planning to partner with in Africa.

Geopolitical unrest can prevent a project from being deployed; as the HTC Data Connectivity working group found out about their planned field trial in Asia.

A solution is not limited to a technological device or method, but should focus on people and community solutions to avoid being labelled as “cool ideas” looking for a problem to solve.

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A World Problem is

A problem which has a global scale, affecting a very large part of the world directly or indirectly (people, animals, plants)

Or a smaller scale problem which occurs many different times an places in the world, affecting different areas differently but with similar "local/regional scale mechanism”

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Reflecting the global nature of IEEE, R8 and R10 are now the two largest IEEE Regions

R9 – 15,401

R8 – 67,221

R10

73,662R1 to 6 – 209,857

R7 – 16,259

R1 – 37,050

R2 – 32,137

R3 – 30,557

R4 – 23,204

R5 – 28,765

R6 – 58,144

IEEE Membership per region (2008)

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Deploying Technology for Humanity

The total land area is 13,056 million hectares. Divided up equally that would be 2.1 hectares for each person. However population is not evenly distributed. "Secure access to land remains essential for diverse land-based livelihoods and is a precondition for sustainable agriculture, economic growth and poverty reduction." Oxfam, 2006

www.worldmapper.org

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Technology for > 6 billion people (‘02)

The size of each territory shows the relative proportion of the world's population living there. "Out of every 100 persons added to the population in the coming decade, 97 will live in developing countries." Hania Zlotnik, 2005. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations Secretariat

www.worldmapper.org

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A World Problem: Disasters

Territory size shows the proportion of all deaths caused by disasters, which overwhelm local resources, that died there 1975-2004. It includes outbreaks of infectious diseases not normally found there. Disasters overwhelm local capacity, causing destruction and suffering, and necessitating a request for outside help. Disasters include droughts, epidemics, volcanoes, storms, fires, and events caused by accidents or indirectly caused by wars.

www.worldmapper.org

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A World Problem: Violent Deaths

Territory size shows the proportion of violent deaths worldwide that occurred there in 2002. War deaths are not shown here. The violent deaths shown here are homicide (murder and manslaughter), but exclude deaths due to war.

www.worldmapper.org

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A Tech Problem: Electricity Access

This map shows where people who have electricity supplied to their homes; it includes electricity sourced from a public grid or self-generated. This map shows access, not the quantities of electricity used. Note that 7 of the 10 territories with the lowest access to electricity are in South eastern Africa.

www.worldmapper.org

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A Tech Problem: Cellular Subscribers (’02)

Number of subscriptions to cellular telephones around the world increased 100 fold between 1990 and 2002. The ITU expects the number of mobile cellular subscriptions globally to reach five billion in 2010, driven by advanced services and handsets in developed countries and increased take-up of mobile health services and mobile banking in the developing world.

www.worldmapper.org

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IEEE Canada (R7)

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IEEE Canada (R7)

Canadian Humanitarian Initiatives Committee

Initially established to:• support participation in the Humanitarian Technology Challenge• explore interest in a sustained humanitarian initiatives

committee.

Now: standing committee supporting IEEE members in Canada that are participating in Humanitarian initiatives or building relationships that will enable our members to fulfil IEEE’s strategic vision.

Need of a systematic approach to solve world problems

Desire to demonstrate expertise & relevance of IEEE to positively impact humanity

Using HIC framework to assist sections on humanitarian initiatives

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Projected benefits of HIC strategy

Respond to the growing need, voiced by members, to address world problems in a tangible manner

Enhance sense of belonging and pride in being members; benefiting membership development and member retention

Provide members opportunity to use professional skills outside current job, as a career development path

Provide opportunity for members to participate in Humanitarian/Social Entrepreneur industry: “to do well while doing good”

Provide the continuity needed by sections to improve proficiency in humanitarian work

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Current HIC Framework

Website and Virtual Community to pull together information scattered on many IEEE pages:

• http://ewh.ieee.org/mu/r7-hic/ • http://ieeecanadahic.ieee.sixent.net • Offering web presence for members involved in humanitarian work

Creating capacity and nurturing the networks of skills/people

Facilitating sharing of resources like document templates, best practices, and lessons learned

Collecting, classifying, and distributing information or assistance to support humanitarian initiatives, new ventures and collaborations

Two anchor activities: • To raise awareness: CCECE (http://www.ieee.ca/ccece10/)

• To agree on new initiatives: EPEC (http://www.ieee.ca/epec10/)

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Current HIC activities

HIC collaborative work:• HTC Data Connectivity: Martin Murrillo, Pedro Sanchez

• HTC Reliable Electricity: Glenn McKnight, Alfredo Herrera

• Partnerships: EWB Canada, FBSC, WE CARE Solar

• Donors: IEEE Canadian Foundation, Engineering for Change,

IEEE Foundation, IEEE Ottawa Section

Helping HTC Proof of Concept Test (PCT) of WiFi link for small rural outposts: pilots in South America; planned pilots in Asia.

First HIC student design competition improving WE CARE design To show how IEEE funding sources can be obtained To engage members at section level in humanitarian initiatives Define Open Hardware model for IEEE humanitarian initiatives To gain mindshare with agencies, NGOs and public

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IEEE Canada HIC student competition

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Current HIC activitieshttp://ewh.ieee.org/mu/r7-hic/initiatives/student-design-competition-2010-2011/

The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in a Canadian college or university:

• Teams are required to have a mentor

• Mentors can be a professor from the institution where team is enrolled

• Teams can alternatively have a mentor from industry

• Teams will have a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 4 members

• There is no limit on the number of teams from a given institution

• There are no entry fees

• Proposal submission: Friday January 7, 2011

• Three top teams invited to CCECE 2011 for tutorial and awards

• Cash prizes: first, CND$1000; second, CND$700; third, CND$300

2-3 surgical LED lights for 12 hours

Cell phones and/or walkie-talkies

8 AAA headlamp batteries

Laptop computer

Portable ultrasound 80W

System

40W System

Forty Watts of PV

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Current HIC activitieshttp://ewh.ieee.org/mu/r7-hic/initiatives/student-design-competition-2010-2011/

Partnering with WE CARE Solar to improve their platform: a cost-effective, portable, immediately operational, plug and play solar electric system that fits in a suitcase. Developed with group of Berkeley students in 2008. Participants will be asked to study this system and to propose ideas that will improve it, extend it or innovate it. For example:

• Simplify installation

• Create collection of DC devices

• Enable use of Li-Ion battery

• Enable use of electric tool batteries

• Optimize charge controller

• Improve serviceability and cost

• Improve enclosure

• Innovate connectorization

Story…Design…Now What?

Nigeria

Burma

HaitiRwanda

India

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Recent HIC activities – completed and next

Done: ‒ Had booth at EPEC 2010, presented paper‒ Become familiar with IEEE funding sources‒ Reaching out to Canadian sections, monthly meetings in Ottawa‒ Paper created for the Open Source Business Review on Open Hardware

To Do:‒ Promote student competition, awards at CCECE 2011‒ Tutorial at CCECE 2011‒ Define Open Source Hardware platform for IEEE projects‒ Submit proposal for sections congress

Goals:• Show how humanitarian projects that can be organized and

funded at the MGA region/section level (grassroots).• Contribute to IEEE objective of showing expertise and relevance

to positively impact humanity

http://ewh.ieee.org/mu/r7-hic/alfredo.herrera@ieee.org

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IEEE Humanitarian initiatives other than HIC (PES-CSI)

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Electricity for > 1 million in Haiti: www.CommunitySolutionsInitiative.org

Mobile Module ConceptMobile Module Concept

2727

5.40

9.40

6.00

8.00

17.20

2.40

Controls & Breakouts48-12V Regs

Combiner & MPPT

Top View Panels Extended

1.00

(+) Tilt Position

(-) Tilt Position

Front Elevation

StowPosition

Side Elevation Panels Stowed

Panels Stowed

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Typical Existing Supplies

54 V

54 V

LVD

14 V

LVD control

54 V

x 20x 20

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Potential for partnership between IEEE Canada HIC and PES-CSI

CSI:Wind Turbine Task Force

Project Update

Co-Chairs:Henry Louie, PhDCarmen Cejudo4 October 2010

About Us

• Formed in Summer of 2009• Joint project between IEEE Power & Energy

Society and Engineers without Borders Seattle Chapter IEEE PES Puget Sound Professional Chapter EWB

Concept

• Determine the feasibility of small-scale wind turbines for electricity generation in rural communities

• Constructed in-country, using local labor and material if possible

• Opportunity for a micro-business

Concept

• Feasibility Considerations: Cost Availability of materials Availability of labor/expertise Sustainability (maintenance) Comparison with other energy sources (PV, etc)

Approach

• Review existing “home made” wind turbine designs

• Construct according to design• Document construction process• Identify areas for improvement• Test and model• Deploy

Wind Turbine Design

• Selected “Homebrew Wind Power” by Dan Bartman and Dan Fink as base design (www.otherpower.com)

• Blades based on Hugh Piggott’s “A Wind Turbine Recipe” (http://scoraigwind.com/books/books.htm)

source: www.otherpower.com

Implementation

• Assemble a committed group of volunteers with variety of backgrounds Practicing engineers Carpenters, Machinists Instructors Academics Students

Electrical Components

• Create 1 stator, 2 rotors• Stator:

• Nine, 70 turn coils of 14 AWG wire

• Wired as a three phase generator with 3 coils per phase

• Construct mold• Cast stator in vinyl ester

resinsource: www.otherpower.com

Electrical Components

• Rotors: Two 12” diameter, ¼” thick

steel discs 12 NdFeB (“rare earth”)

magnets per rotor Magnets attached using

aluminum template Create mold Cast in vinyl ester resin

source: www.otherpower.com

Progress to Date: Electrical

Progress to Date: Blades

• Saw, chisel and sand three wooden rotor blades

• Blades must be tapered on both sides

source: www.otherpower.com

Progress to Date: Blades

• One complete• Two half-done

Progress to Date: Metal

• Machine and weld frame and tail components

• LOTS of WORK!

source: www.otherpower.com

source: www.otherpower.com

Costs

• Not finalized as of yet• Notable costs (approximate)

Magnets: $185 Wire: $50 Spindle: $70 Resin: $60

Remaining Challenges

• Tower structure• Suitable test location

Potentially at a Puget Sound Energy wind farm in Central or southern Washington

• Develop EM model of generator• Identification of trial deployment

Chikuni, Zambia

• Identifying where suitable wind resources are

SCIENCE ANDENGINEERING

Henry Louie, PhDAssistant Professor

Department of Electrical andComputer Engineering

901 12th Avenue, Bannan 219P.O. Box 222000Seattle, WA 98122-1090www.seattleu.edu

Tel: (206) 398-4619Fax: (206) 296-5962louieh@seattleu.edu

COLLEGE OF

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What can you do?

Join one of the on-going IEEE humanitarian projectsParticipate in the HIC student design competitionParticipate in IEEE president’s Change the World competition Form a humanitarian committee in your sectionContact the HIC to learn moreVisit/use the HIC webpage and virtual communityDonate to the IEEE Canada humanitarian fund

http://ewh.ieee.org/mu/r7-hic/Coordinator

alfredo.herrera@ieee.org