I designed and constructed a prototype of an electronic device for remote data collection and information dissemination. The original idea for this device came when my colleagues responsible for data collection around development projects were not able to reach (remote) communities in developing counties due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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The device can play audio files and one can interact with it using multiple buttons. Further audio responses can be recorded. The device is capable of operating in remote areas and is designed to last for 50 hours of operation (playing audio and being interacted with) and more than a month of sleep time.
The audio files and skip logic based on the interaction of those using the device can be defined and inputted by those wishing to place this device using an SD card and no coding is required. This means the device can be sued out of the box by professionals wishing to provide information about development projects or collect responses.
This device is yet to be tested in the field; however, I aim to test potential use cases of this device for education and information provision around development projects. See an example of one of such use case, an educational quiz, on the video above.
I also wish to explore potential use cases for research purposes. This device could be used by experimentally varying information provided by this device regarding the topic of interest and observing variance in the responses provided by those interacting with it.
The device is built in C/C++ using Arduino Framework (user interface with buttons) and ESP-IDF framework (processing questions and audio functionalities). I plan to publish the code and design files as Open Source at a later stage of the development.
The enclosure for the device can be printed using wildly available 3D printers, all components are off the shelf and can be procured online. The required components and materials for constructing this device can be purchased for less than 100 CAD in total.
If you would be interested in cooperating with me on the development, or if you wish to use and test the device, please do not hesitate to contact me.
