QRForms, flexible mobile data gathering
Flexible user-driven data collection in a disconnected state.
About You
About You
First Name
Dale
Last Name
Zak
Twitter URL
Facebook URL
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Whitespace
Organization Website
Organization Country
Canada, SK
Country where this project is creating social impact
Is your organization a
Not registered
How long has your organization been operating?
Less than a year
The information you provide here will be used to fill in any parts of your profile that have been left blank, such as interests, organization information, and website. No contact information will be made public. Please uncheck here if you do not want this to happen..
Innovation
Entry Form title
QRForms, flexible mobile data gathering
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Idea (you're poised to launch)
How long have you been in operation?
Still in idea phase, but looking to launch soon
THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage
Mobile devices can be a critical tool for data gathering, reducing both costs and mistakes caused by traditional paper forms. In times of crisis, quickly sharing information between affected groups can be crucial to making timely decisions.
Unfortunately existing mobile data gathering solutions like Open Data Kit and EpiSurveyor only communicate with their own proprietary servers, requiring an initial synchronization to first download form metadata which prevents forms from being defined in the field on the actual device. This inefficiency makes it difficult, if not impossible, to push collected data to multiple endpoints which do not support the proprietary data format.
THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!
QRForms is a flexible mobile data gathering solution for creation of custom forms on the device, allowing the user to enter data in a disconnected state and upload that data to multiple endpoints once the internet becomes available.
Creating Forms
Forms are defined on the device based on the collectors needs. These forms can include plain text, true or false, numbers, dates, location, multiple choice, barcodes or photos.
Sharing Forms
User defined forms can easily be shared between team members, even when the internet is not available by sharing the form metadata as a QR code via Bluetooth or MMS, or plain text via SMS.
Disconnected Entry
Data can be gathered in a disconnected state, including the ability to add additional fields to existing forms or change previous form results.
Sharing Data
Collected data can be shared between team members or with participants via Bluetooth or SMS in a human readable format or as a QR code for easy future retrieval.
Uploading Data
Data can be queued for upload to multiple endpoints by specifying each target’s data format JSON, XML, CSV, QR code and protocol HTTP, FTP or SMTP.
To get the application in the hands of users, each application will be made available on the target devices market place; Ovi Store for Nokia, Market for Android, App Store for iOS, Marketplace for Windows Phone and App World for Blackberry.
The Android and J2ME applications will also have a powerful self-replicating feature, allowing the user to share the app installation file via Bluetooth with other devices.
THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media
The application will provide a free, flexible and robust solution for gathering data in a disconnected state, whether that be a community health care workers collecting patient information, journalists gathering community stories or NGOs tracking aid at refugee camps. This is particularly important in times of crisis or in remote rural areas with connectivity is often a challenge.
The power of the application, lies in it's ability for the user to create their own custom form based on the information they need to collect, all done without an internet connection. This custom form can then be shared with other users via SMS or Bluetooth allowing a group to all be collecting the same structured data.
Once the data has been collected, it can be shared in a number of ways. Simplest is to email the content in a human-readable format. Another way is to upload the collected data to a FTP site in JSON, XML or CSV. Another option is to POST the gathered information to a web server which has the QRServer script installed. The QRServer script dynamically adds columns to the underlying database if they do not already exist based on the POST params. The QRServer PHP script could turn any WordPress blog into a potential endpoint for receiving and visualizing collected data.
THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
The application will be free and open source, allow others to use and build upon the application.
We would partner with interested groups to ensure the application is translated in as many languages as possible.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
This past summer I had the opportunity to mentor at the Random Hacks of Kindess in Nairobi. While brainstorming over the weekend, we came up with basic idea for simple mobile app that allows creation of custom forms on the device.
Following that event, the idea began to evolve and I realized it the potential to share that collected data while offline to other users via Bluetooth or SMS, and also update that data to multiple endpoints all in the target's desired data format.
The 'Aha!' moment came when I realized, the same mobile application could be used by community health care workers collecting patient information, journalists gathering community stories, environmentalists gathering water quality information or NGOs tracking aid at refugee camps, a truly powerful and robust tool.
Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date
The idea is currently conceptional, but I believe it has potential to provide flexible and free data gathering that meets the needs of collectors, all done entirely in a disconnected state.
This can be incredibly important during times of crisis when communications are down, or while working in a remote rural area.
What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?
I can envision the application becoming the default way to collect data in a disconnected state, regardless of type of information being collected or device the user is carrying.
Initially we'd create the mobile application for Android and J2ME, but would also like to port the application to iOS, Blackberry and Windows devices.
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
Six-Month Tasks
Task 1
Prototype the Android mobile application
Task 2
Develop Android mobile application
Task 3
Implement PHP script or WordPress plugin for visualizing received data
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
12-Month Tasks
Task 1
Develop J2ME mobile application
Task 2
Develop iOS mobile application
Task 3
Develop Blackberry mobile application
How many people have been impacted by your project?
Fewer than 100
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
More than 10,000
Sustainability
Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured
Undefined
What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?
The project has no direct revenue potential, yet I believe has incredible social value.
The biggest barrier is having the available resources so I can focus my full effort on the project, as well as hire other developers to help implement the application on other mobile platforms.
How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?
We are experiencing a mobile revolution. The growth of mobile devices globally is staggering, particularly in developing countries. This adoption is being driven by decrease is the handset cost combined with increase in device capabilities.
The mobile device is a powerful data collection tool allowing detection of location, recording audio, capturing video and entering information yet there still isn't an easy way for users to create custom forms based on their collection needs; QRForms aims to solve that.
Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?
I plan to develop the applications as open source, allowing others to contribute to the project. If the project fails to gain traction, I'd be happy for others to re-use the source code for an alternative purpose.
Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding
Tell us about your partnerships
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?
Whitespace is a social good initiative that aims to help empower disadvantaged groups, leveraging existing open source tools when possible and developing custom applications when needed.
We plan to assemble a team of both developers and volunteers with the required skills to quickly and effectively implement the solution.
Since the project will also be open source, we will also leverage the community to help improve and build upon the core application.
Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply
Investment, Human resources or talent, Marketing or media, Research or information, Collaboration or networking, Pro-bono help (legal, financial, etc.), Innovation or ideas, Mentorship.
Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply
Human resources or talent, Collaboration or networking, Innovation or ideas.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list
Summary
Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences
Whitespace's mission is to help empower disadvantaged groups by bridging the gap between problems and solutions.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences
Flexible user-driven data collection in a disconnected state.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| qrforms.jpg | 78.75 KB |
