1. Fighting Hunger
with Information
Mashups in ICT4D
Increase Accessibility of
Vital Services
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
2. Fighting Hunger with Information
● ICT4D
– Already introduced
– Many technological devices / platforms /
approaches for improving social & economic
conditions in less developed countries
– Often isolated from each other
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
6. Fighting Hunger with Information
● Mashups
– Combine different technologies
– Don't create new platforms / services
– Connect existing ones
– Proofofconcept: NoisR
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
7. Fighting Hunger with Information
● NoisR
– Aim: enable access to an emarketplace for
● People with limited reading abilities
● People with bad eyesight
● People without a computer
– Only basic technologies & existing services
– → Mashup
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
9. Fighting Hunger with Information
● Technical Implementation
– XML database
– Google Maps
– eSpeak
– Podcast
– Podlinez
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
12. Fighting Hunger with Information
● Technical Implementation
– XML database
– Google Maps
– eSpeak
– Podcast
– Podlinez
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
16. Fighting Hunger with Information
● NoisR:
– Backend: Mashup
– Frontend:
● Simply call a number and listen to the newest offers
● Simply look at the map and get an overview of the offers
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
17. Fighting Hunger with Information
● Other mashup ideas
– Price alerts via sms
– Weather forecast with sms notifications
– Ushahidi – “Crowdsourcing Crisis Information”
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
19. Fighting Hunger with Information
● Mashups
– No extensive programming
– Many free services
– People themselves can create applications
– Existing user base
– Easy extension of services
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
20. Fighting Hunger with Information
● Conclusion
– Don't reinvent the wheel
– Use what's already there and working
– For NoisR:
● More mobiles & many illiterates
● Easier access to information can include those people
● → the gap between rich & poor is also addressed
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
21. Fighting Hunger with Information
● Issues / Further Research
– Apply the prototype
– Automated speech conversion
– Put everything on the web
– Localization / Customization
– Is the infrastructure ready for mashups?
Florian Sturm, Thorsten Hampel, David Hauer, Andreas Hornich
University of Vienna
