TrackMe Contact Tracer

Mobile app that will allow you to retrace your steps, log interactions with other app users, and send out notifications of areas where the COVID -19 virus was identified within the last 24 hours.

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Inspiration

The idea came about like most, after hearing many news headlines, day after day, with the increasing number of infected individuals with the COVID-19 virus. There must be a way to stop/curve the infection that is growing so rapidly day after day. One of the biggest problems with trying to stop the spread of the virus is to trace all known contacts and interactions of infected individuals. This however is not easily done as human memory is highly unreliable.

What it does

Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, we have identified a problem area that we believe needs to be solved. The problem we are solving: Individuals who test positive for the COVID-19 virus often cannot recall all the interactions they have had with other individuals, neither can they readily identify the locations they have been. As a result, other individuals who frequented the same locations during the same period might not be alerted in time that they were in contact with a COVID-19 positive person.

The TrackMe mobile app allows you to retrace your steps, log the interactions with other application users, and send out warnings and notifications of areas where the virus was identified within the last 24 hours.

The app user will allow the app to track their GPS movements and store that information in the cloud. Warnings will also be sent out to app users on retrospective data based on previous cross-contact of users which will be activated once one of them gets confirmed as a positive carrier of the virus. These individuals can then be notified to get tested.

How we built it

The concept is currently in prototype phase which can be tested with users to better validate problem assumptions. Once the assumptions have been validated, the solution could then be launched as an MVP to a subset of users to understand any nuances that the app may not have catered for, and then scale rapidly thereafter. The solution will be cloud based and zero-rated to better penetrate the lower income and informal areas.

What we have learned

Data privacy is of utmost importance. People don't want their movements freely tracked, so data security and anonymity is the most important non-functional requirement of users.

What's next for TrackMe Contact Tracer

Building out the MVP, testing it with a subset of users and improving on the results. Long term user value will be further developed to ensure consistent usage, even after the COVID-19 virus pendemic has subsided.

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