Although the modern world seems peaceful, there are actually wars happening in third-world countries. Wars involve a lot of unfortunate incidents and the victims usually encounter different emergencies. Technology helped us deal with diseases and perform better treatment in the medical aspect, and when we are facing life-threatening emergencies, technology can also save us from danger.
Danger detection and communication in the warzone
When there is a war, it is important for the victims to stay focused on the danger and prevent entering the combat to ensure their safety. Radio Content Analysis tool and satellite imagery are helpful for the peacemaker to detect the potential threats around the war zone.
Radio content analysis tools are installed around the war zone and record the conversation by the military forces. Machine learning is used to recognize the content of the conversation and translate it automatically. Some military strategies might be captured by the radio content analysis tools, such as when and where will the soldiers attack or place the mine. This important information is helpful for the victims there to be prepared and leave the mentioned areas as quickly as possible.
Apart from information generated by voice recording, satellite imagery can also be used to detect the possible combats by capturing the landscape from space. Since the images are captured from above, the related authorities are able to track down the directions of tanks, bombs, or soldiers. With the satellite imagery, the situation of the threatening locations can be predicted, and notify the victims to leave the designated area.
When the above information is acquired, it will be sent to the victims’ phones via instant messengers. FrontlineSMS is an example, the United Nation mentioned that they would use FrontlineSMS to provide real-time war-related information to the victims, as well as provide emergency alerts so that the victim would have enough time to hide in the haven. The data sent to or received from the victims in a war zone will also be transferred to the main database of the United Nations Peacemaker, so as to gather critical information regarding medical support and strategic analysis.
Mobile Mesh Networking
You might be wondering, how can the victims of war access the Internet and receive real-time information via instant messengers if the network or satellite services are unavailable in the warzone? There is actually a technology called Mobile Mesh Networking that can help us to telecommunicate with other devices without connecting to Wifi or the 5G network.
Mobile Mesh Network is a network formed with devices. The connected devices are called nodes. The users of devices in the mesh network may communicate with each other through a peer-to-peer wireless link and send important messages to each other. There is no central hub or infrastructure required to use the network, and thereby when any one device is offline, the other devices in the network remain connected and still can send messages to the other devices.
Bridgefy and Firechat are some examples of mobile mesh networking, these messengers allow users to send peer-to-peer messages via Bluetooth, Wifi, or Apple Multipeer, without an Internet connection. Also, the mobile mesh network is easy to set up, everyone can set up a mobile mesh network within a few minutes since they are end-user device enabled. Adding that the cost of using a mesh network is cheap and the network is covered over 55 miles, they are often used for military purposes and by the victims of war.
Medical ID
When there is an emergency, the victim might not be able to speak and provide personal information verbally, which hinders the rescue team or professionals from making suitable medical decisions. In this case, a medical ID can help. Medical ID, such as Apple Health Medical ID and ICE Medical Standard, stored all kinds of medical information such as medical records, blood type, allergies, or even emergency contacts. This information is helpful for the health workers to perform treatment, as well as for the rescue team to call for help. In case the health workers are not able to access the victims’ phones, the medical information can be pulled up on the lock screen so that they can acquire the medical information quickly, and no time will be wasted during the rescue.
Application for First aid information
Not everyone knows how to save themselves when they get hurt, not to mention the chances for the war victims to be injured are very high. Considering the lack of medical knowledge for the general public, the American and British Red Cross developed applications for first aid information and guidelines. There are first aid tutorials for adults, babies, children, and even pets. The application provides a step-by-step instruction guide for different scenarios with video demonstrations, as well as some quizzes for revision. There are also some badges as rewards for the users to keep track of their tutorial process so that a long-term habit of learning basic first aid skills can be developed, the users may react to emergencies by themselves when they get hurt. If the users are looking for help, they can also contact the emergency medical service department via the application, so that the users’ safety can be ensured.
Rescuing victims in rural and isolated areas
Apart from providing first aid information, the British Red Cross also develop MapSwipe, which can help complete the map in rural and isolated areas. Some remote areas or facilities might not be recognized by the satellite map, however, the victims of crimes, disasters, conflicts, or wars are usually located in these remote places. Hence, MapSwipe gathered users to help with the marking and recognition process. The users of MapSwipe will scroll through the satellite images and recognize buildings or landscapes like roads, rivers, or settlements. The mappers can then rely on the information provided by the users and build a detailed map that can help the rescue team to deliver life-saving aid to the victims, or directly provide rescue services. With MapSwipe, the victims of wars can gather the more accurate geographic locations of the war zone, which is helpful for escape and self-defense.
Although bad things like wars and disasters happened, there are still technologies that help us to cope with the situations. We believe that in the future, technology will further ensure the safety of humankind, and lead us to better days. Let’s hope there won’t be wars in this world anymore and we can live together peacefully. If you would like to learn more about how technology can make our lives better, feel free to continue reading the third part of this series: Technology for outdoor safety.
Read the whole series: Morden Technology Development – 4 article series about technologies for better life