With the recent uprise of natural disasters in New Zealand the infrastructure to deal with such events has come under fire. In recent events a critical problem has been the ability to communicate. The mobile networks become overloaded and power to the city is in most cases shut off. This leads to panic and uncertainty among the public.
In a disaster it is possible to lose all forms of communication entirely. With this being said I aimed to design an infrastructure that did not rely on traditional methods of communication. An entirely new system that would allow people to gain the necessary knowledge in order to make safe and informed decisions.
Utilising the open source nature of Arduino the CII radio uses the Transmitter and Receiver shields to relay a small string of characters over radio frequency. The radio incorporates an LCD screen on one side to display the received message.
With the introduction and commercialisation of many Autonomous Flight Vehicles it is now possible to send out a battery powered Drone or Light Aircraft to complete a pre determined path. In a Civil Defence Emergency the Vehicle can be sent off on a flight path with the transmitting half pre programmed. Thus people who have activated the radio in there homes can safely and reliably receive a message or instructions.
This project was done as a brand extension for Howard Wright LTD. As a major medical apparatus research and development brand they were looking to expand beyond their traditional boundaries. By incorporating the expertise, research and development of the Howard Wright Cares brand they can now expand the range of care products into the home.