Remote Monitoring Tools

iD&D combines it’s custom designed, innovative data collection tools with local teams to assist in more complex deployment. We offer partners a number of solutions to support real-time, actionable data collection, based on contextually developed tools such as low data consuming, rugged, solar-powered ‘Internet of Things’ based sensor systems.

iD&D has collaborated with a team of skilled, US-based hardware designers to develop Kumva; a rugged, affordable and adaptable suite of value chain driven accessories for Particle’s fully-integrated, sector-leading IoT platform.

In developing these sensors our goal has been to develop a ‘plug-and-play’ solution allowing users without a technical background to collect the data they need to improve efficiency in their environment and have a positive social impact on their surrounding community.

Our sensors have been deployed across over 300km of national parks in the USA to collect data on utilisation, weather and air quality. We develop solutions that are discrete, long-lasting and low on power consumption, making them perfect for the ever-changing landscape across East Africa.

Clients can buy Kumva hardware and deploy a simple data collection system with minimal setup. For more complex use-cases, iD&D can be contracted to make project-specific customisations before offering a locally based team (service currently available in Kigali, Rwanda) to set up, test and monitor things.

The Internet of Things allows us to collect unbiased data remotely and affordably. Our easy to use sensors detect, record and share in real-time targeted inputs from the physical environment to quickly and efficiently allow us to see trends. Combinations of sensors can be used to measure more complex scenarios, such as how many people wash their hands after using a latrine (measuring water flow on taps, at the same time as motion through the door).

As global development adapts to changing political and economic landscapes, we see more demand for low cost, scalable and unbiased data collection; IoT allows us to serve this demand. Our sensors are customisable so we can collect exactly what our partners need, offering access to affordable, real-time data without our partners having to manage or maintain any hardware.

We have developed our platform on Particle.io; a fully-integrated IoT platform that offers everything needed to deploy IoT data collection tools. We don’t use prototyping technology such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino, but scalable, robust hardware that is less prone to failure.

iD&D runs ‘applied IoT’ trainings to university students in Rwanda, helping them to better understand IoT product development, while collecting the baseline data needed to help them develop new, impactful, market-driven solutions.

We see mobile data collection as an important part of our offering, and with multiple open-sourced data collection tools available, our offering here is also broad.

Our team is experienced in developing and managing SMS / USSD surveys, and we have partnered with Africa’s Talking to offer quick and affordable solutions that work across the continent.  While SMS solutions can be cheaper to develop, we see USSD as a great way to collect standardised data, is our preferred method of basic, mobile data collection.

Android OS is widely used in mobile data collection, offering added features such as offline data capture and content rich forms. We have Android developers that can create custom surveying tools for both mobile phones and tablets. One issue with Android is that it can be data and battery heavy, with a device needing charging multiple times a day with heavy data collection; with this in mind, we have been developing collection tools that run on the low power KaiOS platform discussed below.

KaiOS is a software recently championed by MTN, allowing them to offer a $20 ‘smart feature phone’. While its capabilities are more limited than Android, it works well as a platform for surveying and a fully charged device can last for days.