Difference between revisions of "Akvo Caddisfly"

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<font size="5" color="#ffae00">Fast and easy drinking water fluoride testing using a smartphone.</font>
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<font size="5" color="#ffae00">Capture and understand water quality that matters using a smartphone.</font>
  
Akvo Caddisfly is a simple, fast, portable and low cost drinking water testing kit that can be used anywhere to quickly analyse the level of fluoride in drinking water, using a smartphone. Currently under development, it also allows water quality data to be accurately mapped and shared online.
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Akvo Caddisfly is a simple, fast, portable and low cost water qualtiy testing system that can be used on-site to quickly analyse the level of a variety of parameters in water in remote areas, using a smartphone. It allows water quality data to be accurately mapped and shared online.
  
Both its hardware and software are open source. Akvo Caddisfly will set a new standard in effective gathering and sharing at scale of data relating to drinking water quality, using the best available tool for this purpose – the smartphone.
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Both its hardware and software are open source. Akvo Caddisfly will set a new standard in effective gathering and sharing at scale of water quality data. Using the best available tool for this purpose – the combination of a smartphone and easy to use and reliable third-party testing methods.  
  
Test results from various locations will be shared online enabling communities to evolve locally relevant and sustainable systems for better drinking water. The Caddisfly Water Quality Test Kit aims to help detect major water quality parameters like Fluoride, Nitrate, Arsenic, Coliforms, Electrical Conductivity, etc.
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For water quality monitoring to be scaled up to national level, we need to be able to test water quality on the ground in a fast, affordable, and scalable way. Akvo’s low cost, open source, smartphone-based water quality testing system measures 29 water quality parameters for SDG 6 combining four different technologies: colorimetry, sensors, microbiology, and test strips. 
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Connected to third-party hardware and an online data platform, this system allows you to combine water quality data with GPS data, metadata and qualitative data. This means that you can easily interpret test results, create interactive maps, and generate insights for decision making at regional or national level. Testing can be scaled up affordably with data immediately accessible and shareable via an online dashboard. Test results from various locations will be shared online enabling communities to evolve locally relevant and sustainable systems for improving water quality. Caddisfly aims to help detect major water quality parameters like E. coli, Fluoride, Nitrate, Arsenic, Electrical Conductivity, etc.
  
 
===Why is Akvo Caddisfly needed?===
 
===Why is Akvo Caddisfly needed?===
Globally, over 780 million people do not have access to clean water. In India and elsewhere, fluorosis is a serious health issue and more than 100 million Indians are at risk because they drink water containing fluoride or other contaminants such as arsenic or coliform bacteria. Existing water quality-testing procedures fall short in a number of ways. Field-test equipment is often hard to use and unreliable and lab tests are costly and slow. Resulting data is generally stored locally and not shared effectively. This makes it hard to quickly collect, analyse, present and efficiently use data to resolve drinking water issues.
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Globally, over 780 million people do not have access to clean water. In India and elsewhere, fluorosis is a serious health issue and more than 100 million Indians are at risk because they drink water containing fluoride or other contaminants such as arsenic or coliform bacteria. Existing water quality-testing procedures fall short in a number of ways. Field-test equipment is often hard to use and unreliable and lab tests are costly and slow. Resulting data is generally stored locally and not shared effectively. This makes it hard to quickly collect, analyse, present and efficiently use data to resolve water quality issues.
 
 
===What is needed to make Caddisfly a success?===
 
Akvo Caddisfly is looking for partners keen to invest in a breakthrough technology with potential for strong and rapid market penetration, to set a new standard for drinking water quality testing. We seek strong partners with the capability to fund and support the execution of the 2015-2016 research and development phases.
 
 
 
Akvo FLOW already has a strong user base of international development teams, in organisations such as Unicef, WSP/World Bank, Millenium Water Alliance, SNV and ICCO, enabling fast upscaling of Akvo Caddisfly. Akvo, a non-profit foundation that builds and supports open source web and mobile tools, is leading the technical development of Akvo Caddisfly in cooperation with TernUp India.
 
 
 
===Testing drinking water has never been so easy===
 
# Fill the reusable test chamber with a sample of water, place the reagent capsule inside and close it.
 
# Attach it to the phone case on your smartphone and run the Caddisfly app.
 
# Place the smartphone facedown, and wait around a minute until you hear a loud click.
 
# The fluoride test result is now displayed on the smartphone’s screen.
 
# Data results can be shared online via Akvo FLOW, Akvo’s mobile phone-based field survey tool.
 
 
 
[[Image:caddisfly testing.png|none|500px|]]
 
 
 
===Technical facts===
 
* The test chamber contains the water sample and can be re-used for thousands of tests.
 
* The reagent is dispensed automatically from the capsule.
 
* The smartphone’s camera acts as a ''colorimeter'' sensor, using the flash to illuminate the sample.
 
* The Akvo Caddisfly app analyses the water sample photograph against a calibrated range, giving an accurate and reliable result after one minute.
 
* The smartphone’s GPS accurately identifies the location and the results can be integrated and reported via Akvo FLOW.
 
  
<br>
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===Testing methods===
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* '''Colorimetry''': Lovibond MD610 Photometer, CHECKIT comparator, Pooltester
 +
* '''Test strips''': Quantofix, Hach, Merck
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* '''Sensors''': Lovibond SD70, Lovibond SD50
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* '''Microbiology''': Aquagenx Compartment Bag Test<br>
 
{|style="background-color:#ff9800" cellpadding="10"
 
{|style="background-color:#ff9800" cellpadding="10"
 
|<font size="3">Benefits of Akvo Caddisfly</font>
 
|<font size="3">Benefits of Akvo Caddisfly</font>
* Low cost
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* '''Cost effective'''
* Immediate results, anywhere
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* '''Fast''': Receive results instantly on your smartphone and translate them into real-time decision making dashboards. Give water quality feedback directly to communities.
* Accurate and reliable
+
* '''Accurate and reliable'''
* Small and easy to handle
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* '''Small and easy to handle'''
 +
* '''Extensive''': Test over 29 parameters for a range of purposes. Choose from colorimetry, sensors, microbiology, and test strips. Add context to your data by combining it with other types of data
 
* Lets you map your findings and monitor them over time using Akvo FLOW
 
* Lets you map your findings and monitor them over time using Akvo FLOW
* Data is shared easily and quickly so responses can be rapid and effective
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* '''Accurate''': Choose your required accuracy based on your needs. For example, use a portable photometer for high accuracy measurements. Conduct data validation checks to monitor accuracy on the go.
 +
* '''Scalable''': Run the system on any number of devices and support the submission of thousands of forms. Share your results instantly, even during data collection, and keep an overview on your online dashboard.
 
|}
 
|}
 
<br>
 
 
===History and current status of the concept===
 
In August 2012 [http://caddisfly.ternup.com/ Ternup Research Labs] was set up in Bangalore, India, to develop products aimed at solving drinking water problems in India and elsewhere. In 2013, TernUp partnered with Akvo to develop Caddisfly and became Akvo’s R&D hub, in India.
 
 
In 2014, a first Caddisfly prototype to test fluoride levels was developed. It is now being field-tested and the first positive outcomes are being recorded. A sensor measuring water temperature and conductivity (EC) has also been developed to test the salinity of drinking and irrigation water. This simply connects to the micro-USB port of the phone and test results are read by the Caddisfly app. Work is currently focussing on standardising the low cost hardware components and improving the usability of the software (the Caddisfly app). This is the groundwork to ensure a reliable, low cost drinking water test that can later be reproduced at scale.
 
 
By mapping the quality of water sources and presenting the results in an effective way, Ternup and Akvo aim to support access to safe drinking water.
 
 
===Changing the future of drinking water quality testing===
 
After piloting the fluoride test and the temperature / EC sensor in the field, Akvo plans to upscale and further realise the potential of the tool by:
 
# Developing tests for arsenic, nitrate, coliform bacteria, chlorine and other critical contaminants.
 
# Developing hydrogeological testing: e.g. pH, electrical conductivity and water levels.
 
# Developing the Akvo FLOW dashboard to support easy online sharing of water quality testing data.
 
# Fine tuning the industrial design, manufacturing and set up distribution channels.
 
  
 
===Contacts===
 
===Contacts===
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Hans Merton (Amsterdam, Netherlands)<br>
 
Hans Merton (Amsterdam, Netherlands)<br>
 
hans(at)akvo.org +31 6 19 82 10 96 www.akvo.org
 
hans(at)akvo.org +31 6 19 82 10 96 www.akvo.org
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 +
Mert Blommestijn (Amsterdam, Netherlands)<br>
 +
mert(at)akvo.org    www.akvo.org
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[[Image:akvo logo.png|none|100px|link=http://akvo.org]]
 
[[Image:akvo logo.png|none|100px|link=http://akvo.org]]
 
'''Research and development Ternup'''<br>
 
Samuel Rajkumar (Bangalore, India)<br>
 
srajkumar(at)ternup.com +91 98452 90855 http://caddisfly.ternup.com
 
[[Image:caddisfly logo.png|none|100px|link=http://caddisfly.ternup.com/]]
 

Latest revision as of 08:59, 20 June 2019

Caddisfly photo.png


Capture and understand water quality that matters using a smartphone.

Akvo Caddisfly is a simple, fast, portable and low cost water qualtiy testing system that can be used on-site to quickly analyse the level of a variety of parameters in water in remote areas, using a smartphone. It allows water quality data to be accurately mapped and shared online.

Both its hardware and software are open source. Akvo Caddisfly will set a new standard in effective gathering and sharing at scale of water quality data. Using the best available tool for this purpose – the combination of a smartphone and easy to use and reliable third-party testing methods.

For water quality monitoring to be scaled up to national level, we need to be able to test water quality on the ground in a fast, affordable, and scalable way. Akvo’s low cost, open source, smartphone-based water quality testing system measures 29 water quality parameters for SDG 6 combining four different technologies: colorimetry, sensors, microbiology, and test strips.

Connected to third-party hardware and an online data platform, this system allows you to combine water quality data with GPS data, metadata and qualitative data. This means that you can easily interpret test results, create interactive maps, and generate insights for decision making at regional or national level. Testing can be scaled up affordably with data immediately accessible and shareable via an online dashboard. Test results from various locations will be shared online enabling communities to evolve locally relevant and sustainable systems for improving water quality. Caddisfly aims to help detect major water quality parameters like E. coli, Fluoride, Nitrate, Arsenic, Electrical Conductivity, etc.

Why is Akvo Caddisfly needed?

Globally, over 780 million people do not have access to clean water. In India and elsewhere, fluorosis is a serious health issue and more than 100 million Indians are at risk because they drink water containing fluoride or other contaminants such as arsenic or coliform bacteria. Existing water quality-testing procedures fall short in a number of ways. Field-test equipment is often hard to use and unreliable and lab tests are costly and slow. Resulting data is generally stored locally and not shared effectively. This makes it hard to quickly collect, analyse, present and efficiently use data to resolve water quality issues.

Testing methods

  • Colorimetry: Lovibond MD610 Photometer, CHECKIT comparator, Pooltester
  • Test strips: Quantofix, Hach, Merck
  • Sensors: Lovibond SD70, Lovibond SD50
  • Microbiology: Aquagenx Compartment Bag Test
Benefits of Akvo Caddisfly
  • Cost effective
  • Fast: Receive results instantly on your smartphone and translate them into real-time decision making dashboards. Give water quality feedback directly to communities.
  • Accurate and reliable
  • Small and easy to handle
  • Extensive: Test over 29 parameters for a range of purposes. Choose from colorimetry, sensors, microbiology, and test strips. Add context to your data by combining it with other types of data
  • Lets you map your findings and monitor them over time using Akvo FLOW
  • Accurate: Choose your required accuracy based on your needs. For example, use a portable photometer for high accuracy measurements. Conduct data validation checks to monitor accuracy on the go.
  • Scalable: Run the system on any number of devices and support the submission of thousands of forms. Share your results instantly, even during data collection, and keep an overview on your online dashboard.

Contacts

Partnerships Akvo Foundation
Hans Merton (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
hans(at)akvo.org +31 6 19 82 10 96 www.akvo.org

Mert Blommestijn (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
mert(at)akvo.org www.akvo.org

Akvo logo.png