Space Apps Challenge 2017

Between 2005 and 2014, 1.7 billion people have been affected by natural disasters and 0.7 million people have been killed in these events. 70% of these deaths are caused by earthquakes and tsunamis. Even with the high quality data that organisations such as USGS provide, it is extremely challenging to predict and mitigate earthquakes and any delay can mean the difference between endangered lives and safety.

Epik empowers everyday heroes as an accessible emergency prep kit (device accompanied by an app) that allows individuals to engage in a 3-step process of Relay & Receive, Request and Respond. Combining crowdsourced information with official data, epik aids in the communication of potential disaster. Not only does epik inform those of danger, it also allows the injured to call for help meanwhile enabling nearby first responders to assist and support the pressure placed upon emergency services.

When Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, a member of our team rushed out to help and as a first responder, immediately recognised the challenge of their disaster relief efforts. Knocking on every door often proved fruitful but in cases where homes were empty, assistance could have been redirected elsewhere. This was even more evident when she came upon a family of six without food for four days and the area was without emergency services support for three days.

Epik’s minimal design aids in accessibility with its small size and low energy requirements powered by watch batteries, kinetic or solar energy. The devices communicate through cellphone networks or low energy bluetooth relays deployed ahead of time to at-risk zones.

The data collected is made available by our API to the companion app and to emergency services that are integrated into the platform. Using the companion app, anyone can become a first responder and answer a request for help.

Team ep!k

@epikheroes

References:

Internal:

1. Code, API and demo - github.com/coolsebz/epik-heroes
2. Presentation - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7SGQPIShwYeZDYzN...
3. Supporting Description & Considerations - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7SGQPIShwYeYzQ5...
4. Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8uq-mkaK9s
5. Flow Chart - https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B7SGQPIShwYeb0VJdFVfZjl4VzA

External:

1. Europe - Disaster Statistics. Prevention Web. UNISDR, n.d. Web: http://sites.uci.edu/ucimun/files/2016/04/UNESCAP-...
2. https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/nepal-earthquake-prepa...

Tools:

1. Canva - https://www.canva.com
2. Dropbox Paper (beta version) - https://paper.dropbox.com/
3. Slack - epikheroes.slack.com
4. Working tool - https://quip.com/ #c
5. Github - github.com/coolsebz/epik-heroes
6. Flowcharts: lucidchart.com
7. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - @epikheroes
8. Google Drive

Images:

1. Bluetooth logo - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56ef1f46ab4...
2. Vivan's photos from Hurricane Sandy
3. Relevant disaster image: https://goo.gl/images/TxMD1b