One-line solution summary:
SiNGo is to use the smartphone apps or anonymous transit smartcards and also on dedicated terminals. in public places.
Pitch your solution.
The most effective way to handle this problem is to use the smartphone apps or anonymous transit smart-cards and also to install dedicated terminals in public places such as a library, cinema, school, and gym to record where and when the people have visited.
When a person is reported as virus-infected by medical authorities, the system immediately puts all persons who appear in the same place at the same time as the confirmed patient in the past 14 days into an Alert list and transmits it to all terminals.
This terminal gives a friendly alert to potential incubators when they are entering public areas
User’s privacy is absolutely protected.
What specific problem are you solving?
Currently locking down completely as has been done in most African countries, as well as curfews in the developed world has limited spread of COVID-19, however this has crippled economies.
AS such countries are starting to open up, and this is leading to exponential infection rates which is causing some to re-lockdown. There remains a challenge between health and economic sustainability. Some countries like Tanzania have chosen to keep their countries open to salvage against economic collapse, albeit at a high health cost.
So as countries open up, the solution is to create a sustainable equilibrium in controlling spread of COVID-19 while leap-frogging economic growth.
There are many research articles on the relationship between social gathering and COVID19 spreading. Some examples:
- “What is the evidence for mass gatherings during global pandemics? “ Oxford COVID-19 Evidence Service. Link
- What’s the safest gathering size to slow the coronavirus? National Geographic. Link
These have been summarized as a mathematical formula for the relationship between asymptomatic growth and social gathering-
Asymptomatic Growth = (1-Participation%) x Gathering Size x Infection Rate %.
What is your solution?
Terminal - it logs the entry time and gives a friendly alert to potential incubators
Terminal (No Alert)- it simply logs the entry time. To avoid social shaming, it does not give any friendly alert to potential incubators
Terminal (Self Check)- allows users to check if they have had close contact with any infected persons. To avoid social shaming, this terminal is typically installed in government facilities.
Terminal (Infected Entry)- It is for medical authorities to report infected people. When the smartphone or smart card of the infected person is tapped on the Terminal (Infected Entry), the entry will be sent to the server. The server will put all users who appear in the same place at the same time (+/- 6 hours) as the infected person in the past 14 days onto an Alert list and transmits it to all terminals. The alert list is valid from one day to fourteen days depending on the date of contact.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
- Individual Users
Users can check if they have close contact with incubators and they isolate themselves in time to avoid spreading to their family members.
2. Private Sector
Private organizations, the retail industry, and restaurants can equip their own terminals and decide whether to allow persons in the Alert list to enter.
To avoid social shaming, Terminal (No Alert) can be used. Without the alert function, they can still be benefited with big data. See “Benefits beyond Social Distancing”
3. Border Control
Airport custom and cross-border custom can equip a Terminal (Infected Entry) to put the visitors on the Alert list. Tourism and business travel activities can be recovered.
4. Government There is almost no investment as the private sector will pay for a very small investment to protect their business and premises.
Explain how the problem, your solution, and your solution’s target population relate to the Challenge.
Growth of Asymptomatic:
Asymptomatic Growth = (1-Participation%) x Gathering Size x Infection Rate %.
translated to application:
Alert (0) / Alert (-1) = (1-Block%) x Gathering size x infection rate %
- Alert (0) / Alert (-1), the change of number of users on the alert list
- (1-Block%), Block % is the percentage of users on the alert list voluntarily avoid going into public places
we can isolate the individual public places with high Alert list growth and then manage the 3 elements of the formula:
Alert (0) / Alert (-1) = (1-Block%) x Gathering size x infection rate %.
What is your solution’s stage of development?
Pilot: An organization deploying a tested product, service, or business model in at least one communityWho is the primary delegate for your solution?
Steven Jeremy NTAMBI, PhD
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Kampala, UgandaWhich of the following categories best describes your solution?
A new application of an existing technologyDescribe what makes your solution innovative.
This innovation uses basic applications and devices around our daily lives to solve infection. The innovation is simplicity and low cost. In africa where most people have no smart phones means this can be done all over the world. Other apps are normally dependent on a smart phone which is not well spread in the developing world.
Also it is easy to incorporate at all public entrances, which already fits into the procedure of accessing public places. There is no need for learning new culture. The solution is very adaptable as such.
Describe the core technology that powers your solution.
Terminal - it logs the entry time and gives a friendly alert to potential incubators
Terminal (No Alert)- it simply logs the entry time. To avoid social shaming, it does not give any friendly alert to potential incubators
Terminal (Self Check)- allows users to check if they have had close contact with any infected persons. To avoid social shaming, this terminal is typically installed in government facilities.
Terminal (Infected Entry)
- It is for medical authorities to report infected people. When the smartphone or smart card of the infected person is tapped on the Terminal (Infected Entry), the entry will be sent to the server. The server will put all users who appear in the same place at the same time (+/- 6 hours) as the infected person in the past 14 days onto an Alert list and transmits it to all terminals. The alert list is valid from one day to fourteen days depending on the date of contact.
Provide evidence that this technology works.
This is an innovation for COVID-19 and therefore relatively new. however I can demonstrate with a prototype if you require it.
Please select the technologies currently used in your solution:
What is your theory of change?
There are many research articles on the relationship between social gathering and COVID19 spreading. Some examples:
- “What is the evidence for mass gatherings during global pandemics? “ Oxford COVID-19 Evidence Service. Link
- What’s the safest gathering size to slow the coronavirus? National Geographic. Link
These have been summarized as a mathematical formula for the relationship between asymptomatic growth and social gathering.
Growth of Asymptomatic:
Asymptomatic Growth = (1-Participation%) x Gathering Size x Infection Rate %.
Or translate to our application:
Alert (0) / Alert (-1) = (1-Block%) x Gathering size x infection rate >#/b###
Whereas
- Alert (0) / Alert (-1), the change of number of users on the alert list
- (1-Block%), Block % is the percentage of users on the alert list voluntarily avoid going into public places
- The infection rate
Routes to Control the Growth of Asymptomatic
A consistent Asymptomatic Growth of less than 1, indicates that COVID-19 spread is under control and the daily economic activities can be resumed.
In addition, we can isolate the individual public places with high Alert list growth and then manage the 3 elements of the formula:
Alert (0) / Alert (-1) = (1-Block%) x Gathering size x infection rate >#/b###
⇒(1-Block%),Block % is the percentage of users voluntarily avoid going into public places after knowing that they are on the alert list. Block % is assumed to be zero for general public places to avoid social shaming. However, in some critical organizations such as the armed forces and factories, mandatory blocking can help to reduce the spread significantly.
This above figure shows that a 10% blocking rate can help to reduce the spread by 40%, and a 30% blocking rate can reduce the spread by more than 80%. Gathering size,the number of people gather over a relatively long period of time in a close environment. A large gathering size can be partitioned into a small size with separated Terminal to reduce the growth of asymptomatic.
The above figure shows that the gathering size has a significant impact on spreading.
Select the key characteristics of your target population.
Which of the UN Sustainable Development Goals does your solution address?
In which countries do you currently operate?
In which countries will you be operating within the next year?
How many people does your solution currently serve? How many will it serve in one year? In five years?
It is currently serving no one.
Within one year, It should serve over 100 million because I want to donate it to governments
What are your goals within the next year and within the next five years?
Have a better Africa economically, with better access to opportunities, education, water and energy coupled with poverty eradication
What barriers currently exist for you to accomplish your goals in the next year and in the next five years?
Funding to implement
How do you plan to overcome these barriers?
Partnering with platforms like this one
What type of organization is your solution team?
For-profit, including B-Corp or similar modelsHow many people work on your solution team?
Full time is 8 people.
Part time is 31
How many years have you worked on your solution?
3 years on general solution of Smart Card and Automatic Fare Collection with three months making it applicable to COVID-19
Why are you and your team well-positioned to deliver this solution?
The organizational structure of n-Singo is designed to maximize individual leadership, mentorship, and support of all involved, as well as ensure that decisions can be made quickly and effectively. n-SiNGothe program was initiated by a group of project directors who were a part of the MIT Vehicle Design Summit who were also trained on X-Teams by the MIT Sloan School of Management under Prof. Deborah Ancona.
This team develops basic system requirements, recruits top talent, and cultivates the primary capital resources for n-SiNGo. The n-SiNGo Management team is supported by the following:
System Architecture (Guru) Team
Based out of Kampala-Uganda, the Systems Architecture Team serves as the n-SiNGo intellectual capital bank. Comprised of 6 full-time team members, and supported by a large pool of industry mentors and advisors, this group is tasked with designing the the systemic architecture of SiNGo. This team will also be responsible for collating the technical output generated by the n-SINGo subsystem teams with COVID-19 period and beyond.
Technical Teams
n-SiNGo is advised and implemented through commerical industry who together play a key role in ensuring that the work done in n-SinGo exceeds its respective system requirements, meets deadlines, and is carefully documented.
Mentor Teams
Every technical team is advised by between one and five industry mentors. n-SiNGo aims to establish a new innovation space where beyond industry standard development can be achieved.
What organizations do you currently partner with, if any? How are you working with them?
We are Partnering with Organizations in Uganda such as CASTLE (Centre for Advanced Strategic LEadrership)-Uganda
Business Networking International
Makerere University
Why are you applying to Solve?
To get partnership for funding to implement and scale solution
In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?
Solution Team
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Solution Name:
n-SiNGo COVID-19 system detection