In the Student Design Competition, Team Disaster Box, featuring iSchool MLIS student Krista Parham, with Kenyon Crowley, and Zachary Frazier took First Prize. Prompted with designing for information needs in crisis, this team presented a concept for a decentralized, resilient, parallel Internet network with an integrated social media platform to be deployed in the event of a disaster.
“The Disaster Box system is designed to solve one of the most pressing needs in the event of a disaster—the disruption of normal communication network and information infrastructures. Combining lessons from social science, emergency management best practices, the natural sciences (“biomimicry”) and recent technological advances, Disaster Box would allow individuals to use mobile devices to transmit and receive information from loved ones, emergency responders and their fellow community members even when traditional cellular networks are down or overloaded. This drone, bicycle, by-foot or automobile deployable capability, which includes a specialized mobile application, would allow individuals impacted by disaster to help themselves in finding dispersed loved ones and locating necessary services, receive credible news, as well as provide emergency responders with the necessary information to deploy services more effectively and timely.”
The above written by Mary E. Carroll-Mason at the University of Maryland highlights the work Team Disaster Box has been doing.
The design presentation was judged best by a panel of experts at the conference.
Congratulations to Krista and the entire Disaster Box team!
