[bettr.xyz] TraceStick

Mockup for TraceStick
M5StickC off the shelf with ESP32 embedded

Premise

With the release of the BlueTrace and Google/Apple Contact Tracing specification, we realize the practicality of low-cost readily-available embedded BLE devices in the role of aiding tracing in cases to complement Android/iOS phones, or as standalone units.

Project TraceStick aims to develop and release open-sourced code and reference designs of a portable, clip-on device with the aim to allow anyone internationally to build and deploy compatible self-contained tracing devices.

The First OpenSourced BlueTrace-Compatible Embeded Device

TraceTogether on mobile phones face severe limiting factors such as lack of support by the Apple ecosystem, dependency on modern iOS/Android devices, and battery life.

We desgined TraceStick from ground-up, as a functional and extensible reference platform.

TraceStick provides an always-on and ubiquitous background operation, with a target single-charge run-time of 7 days.

In a small 2.5" x 2" form-factor, TraceStick stays out of your way either on a lanyard or clipped onto your belt.

Wifi connectivity allows for OTA updates and simple submission of data.

An integrated user-interface provides useful information to users without a phone and, non-savvy users need only care about keeping it charged once in a while.

Add use-cases by integrating with GPS, temperature sensors, or FLIR.

Add software enhancements which add features such as step counting, gamification, or risk evaluation

Extensibility and Other Solutions

Such a design could potentially be adapted to other deployment models and use cases. We propose here a staggering list of such use-cases.

TraceTemp

With the addition of an NCIR module, the TraceStick becomes a personal or administrative non-contact temperature logging device. Users can regularly take their temperature, and log locally or online.

TraceEntry = TraceStick + SafeEntry

TraceEntry is a station based variant of TraceStick, where the device is positioned at fixed location, such as a gantry.

The BlueTrace range is programmatically reduced to be really short, e.g. 50cm, such that the user must stand at a specific spot and bring their phone/TraceStick near.

When the user is identified, it automatically logs entries to SafeEntry, facilitating smooth friction-less access.

Additional checks could also be automatically made, e.g.

forehead temperature via FLIR
mask detection via low-cost AI camera
holding up NRIC for a camera to verify correctness

TraceSpot

TraceSpot is an alternative usage of the TraceStick as a BLE hotspot with Wifi uplink to checkpoint a specific location.

Assuming all users carry a TraceStick or compatible device, we can estimate the movement of these users within a building/facility, observing if a location is too crowded or not.

Combined one or more low-cost AI cameras, we can improve on the density signal and also spot who's not wearing a mask.

This allows for automated congestion data collection rather than manually logging it with forms/e-forms, especially in small spaces e.g. lifts, shops, bus, cab, etc.

BlueZone Protocol

Gamifying social distancing, the BlueZone protocol aims to make social distancing a more conscious effort by gamifying the process. Users are assigned a score which will increase while they are appropriately practicing social distancing, i.e staying isolated, reducing exposure to external parties. When the score reaches a suitable threshold, such as 14 complete days of social distancing, users can be awarded with incentives, such as a "safe" marker.

If user do not practice social distancing and instead go out and mingle with the crowds, their individual score will be lowered to match the score of the lowest scoring user that they have encountered. When adopted on a massive scale, users will be more acutely aware of their distancing and ideally adopt better social distancing measures.

This protocol can be adopted easily into TraceStick as another useful feature.

Reference: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H3WBd6J9H3t_WtkvvXYRcRTtPYe5qjpGHOY1S_gQ13g/edit?usp=sharing

What Next?

We hope to work with governments, countries and organizations to figure out specific use-case workflows, seek development funding and do rollouts to larger groups of users.

Ref: https://sites.google.com/view/tracestick