Accepted demo presentation at ICTD2013

1. ICTD 2013 Demo Submission
Demo Title
Versatile Wireless Networks for Offline Sharing and Tracking of Open Educational
Resources using Raspberry Pi and TPLink Routers
Presenter(s)
Kathleen Ludewig Omollo, International Program Manager, University of Michigan MSIS
Office of Enabling Technologies
Venue
Information Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD) 2013, Cape Town,
South Africa, ​http://ictd2013.info
Submission Guidelines
http://ictd.cs.uct.ac.za/contrib-demos.html​. Submission deadline is 15 September 2013.
Acceptance notifications will be emailed on 27 September 2013.
Abstract (minimum 100 words). Describe the context, novelty, and significance of your
demonstration.
Higher education institutions in sub-Saharan Africa commonly struggle with limited
availability, high subscription costs, and unpredictable transmission rates of Internet and
electricity on campus. Additionally, many institutions also lack sufficient staffing to
maintain and support networking or other technology services on campus. These
barriers make it difficult for students and instructors to access, create, and integrate
digital learning materials into their institution’s education and research activities. In order
to address these barriers, we experimented with two low-cost configurations for setting
up portable, easily customizable wireless area networks that can broadcast digital
learning materials regardless of whether Internet, electricity, or local networking
expertise is available. The two devices selected for wireless access points are TP-Link
MR3020 and a Raspberry Pi model B. Both devices are small in size (approximately 7
cm x 7 cm x 3 cm), cost under US$50, and can be configured to create a 802.11N
wireless access point that broadcasts the contents of a connected USB storage device.
Individuals within range can then browse the files on the USB drive from any
wifi-enabled device with a web browser. Since the files are stored on USB flash drives, if
anyone wishes to modify the file collection, they simply detach it from the access point
and attach to another computer with a monitor and file browser. Both devices offer an
optional backup Internet connection by Ethernet if available, which we are currently

2. exploring as an alternative method for remote file synchronization through services like
Dropbox.com or Box.com in order to update multiple devices simultaneously and to
remove the need to detach the USB drives from the access points in order to update the
file collection. Both devices accept any power source that is connected by micro- or mini-
USB cable, which means they can be powered by a rechargeable battery that
simultaneously charges itself and the access point, acting as a longer-lasting alternative
to traditional uninterruptible power supplies. The Raspberry Pi offers more customization
options than the TP-Link, such as setting up a full operating system and other services
(e.g. content management system).
The demo will include both the Raspberry Pi and TP-Link configurations with
rechargeable power sources and USB drives with offline collections of open educational
resources. The demo will also feature initial results of performance tests and user
feedback from the 20 devices currently deployed in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Liberia.
Technical requirements. Do you need power, internet, tables, chairs, anything unusual?
The only technical requirement is 1 table that is ideally at least 1 meter x 0.5 meter. That
size should be sufficient in order to display both access points, handouts, the
participant’s laptop and her tablet for demos.
Extra info, or links. Any relevant info you want us to know.
More information about the project, including functionality, configuration instructions, and
research questions is available at ​http://openmi.ch/rasspi-wiki​.
License
This abstract is Copyright 2013 The Regents of the University of Michigan. Shared here
under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
(​http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/​).