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content:about [14/05/2013 23:18]
127.0.0.1 external edit |
content:about [21/05/2013 19:13]
Andrew Bettison add [More information] section, mention that SPI is non-profit |
| //“Mobile telephony for those in need.”// | //“Mobile telephony for those in need.”// |
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| The [[http://www.servalproject.org|Serval Project]] is a [[http://www.servalproject.org/about/the-team|small team]] of academics, contracted engineers and students in the Resilient Networks Lab of [[Flinders University]] in South Australia, developing revolutionary, free, open-source software for mobile telephones. It was founded by [[http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/paul.gardner-stephen|Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen]] and [[http://www.linkedin.com/in/romanachallans|Romana Challans]] in 2010 in response to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake|Haiti Earthquake]], and has received funding and equipment from [[http://www.servalproject.org/other/supporters|several supporters]]. The intellectual property in the Serval Project is held by [[:content:spi]]. | The [[http://www.servalproject.org|Serval Project]] is a [[http://www.servalproject.org/about/the-team|small team]] of academics, contracted engineers and students in the Resilient Networks Lab of [[Flinders University]] in South Australia, developing revolutionary, free, open-source software for mobile telephones. It was founded by [[http://www.flinders.edu.au/people/paul.gardner-stephen|Dr Paul Gardner-Stephen]] and [[http://www.linkedin.com/in/romanachallans|Romana Challans]] in 2010 in response to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake|Haiti Earthquake]], and has received funding and equipment from [[http://www.servalproject.org/other/supporters|several supporters]]. The intellectual property in the Serval Project is held by a not-for-profit incorporated association, [[:content:spi]]. |
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| The Serval Project aims to bring infrastructure-free mobile communication to people in need, such as during crisis and disaster situations when vulnerable infrastructure like phone cell towers and mains electricity are cut off. In practice, this means finding ways to make mobile handsets (like smart-phones) communicate without mobile cell towers, repeaters, Wi-Fi hot spots, or cables. | The Serval Project aims to bring infrastructure-free mobile communication to people in need, such as during crisis and disaster situations when vulnerable infrastructure like phone cell towers and mains electricity are cut off. In practice, this means finding ways to make mobile handsets (like smart-phones) communicate without mobile cell towers, repeaters, Wi-Fi hot spots, or cables. |
| ==== Current work ==== | ==== Current work ==== |
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| The main focus to date has been on developing the free **[[content:servalmesh:|Serval Mesh]]** app for Android to provide voice calls, text messaging and file sharing directly over Ad Hoc Wi-Fi links between phones. The app communicates with distant phones via intermediate phones using [[:content:tech:mesh routing|mesh routing]], and uses strong [[:content:tech:crypto|elliptic curve encryption]] to guarantee privacy and identity even though some phones in the mesh network may not be trusted. | The main focus to date has been on developing the free **[[:content:tech:serval_mesh]]** to provide voice calls, text messaging and file sharing directly over Wi-Fi links between phones. The app communicates with distant phones via intermediate phones using [[:content:tech:mesh routing|mesh routing]], and uses strong [[:content:tech:crypto|elliptic curve encryption]] to guarantee privacy and identity even though some phones in the mesh network may not be trusted. |
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| The Serval Project also develops the **[[content:servalmaps:main_page|Serval Maps]]** app for Android which uses Serval Mesh file sharing to provide decentralised mapping. This is a useful situational awareness tool for emergency response teams. | |
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| The Serval Project is developing the **[[:content:meshextender:main_page|Serval Mesh Extender]]** device to overcome the range limitations of Wi-Fi on smart-phones and to extend Serval Mesh services to handsets other than just Android devices. This will allow more kinds of smart-phones to participate in the Serval Mesh. | The Serval Project is developing the **[[:content:meshextender:main_page|Serval Mesh Extender]]** device to overcome the range limitations of Wi-Fi on smart-phones and to extend Serval Mesh services to handsets other than just Android devices. This will allow more kinds of smart-phones to participate in the Serval Mesh. |
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| The Serval Project is cooperating with the [[http://oti.newamerica.net/commotion_wireless_0|Commotion Wireless]] project to integrate the Serval Mesh into the [[http://wush.net/trac/rangepublic|OpenBTS]] GSM base station, which will bring conventional GSM “feature” handsets into the mesh and will extend the reach and security of Commotion coverage by meshing its OpenBTS base stations together. | The Serval Project also develops the free **[[:content:tech:Serval Maps]]** which uses Serval Mesh file sharing to provide decentralised mapping. This is a useful situational awareness tool for emergency response teams. |
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| ==== Why Android? ==== | See [[:content:activity:]] for more information about all the work and initiatives under way at The Serval Project. |
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| Wi-Fi was the obvious first choice for wireless communication in disaster situations because of its widespread regulatory availability -- most countries have allocated the Wi-Fi frequency bands for short-range domestic use -- and the maturity and broad adoption of the Wi-Fi 802.11 standards. | ==== Long term goals ==== |
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| The “smart phone” was chosen as the initial device because all smart phones support Wi-Fi, whereas most “feature phones” do not. Also, the operating systems of the most popular makes of “feature phones” are all proprietary, which presents financial and legal hurdles. | The Serval Project hopes for its [[:content:tech:mesh network|mesh network technology]] to become the de-facto data transport and community telecommunication solution for remote and disadvantaged communities, international aid and emergency relief agencies, citizen journalists, small and medium enterprises, and hacker and maker communities. |
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| The Android platform was chosen for initial software development over other smart phone platforms, because only Android permits the Ad Hoc Wi-Fi mode to be enabled (although most commercial handsets must be “rooted” in order to do so). Android's terms and conditions on developers also place fewer obstacles to the kind of freedom-oriented development that the Serval Project is pursuing. | The Serval Project's long term technical goals are set out in the [[:content:tech:]], under the "Not started" column. |
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| ==== Long term goals ==== | ==== More information ==== |
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| | The [[:|Serval Project Wiki]] contains much more information, including: |
| | * [[:content:contact]] -- get in touch with a real person |
| | * [[:content:tech:]] -- index of all past, present and future technology |
| | * [[:content:activity:]] -- summary of who funds the Serval Project to do what for whom |
| | * [[:content:publications]] -- internal and external papers, reports, and articles |
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| The Serval Project hopes to eventually reprogram the GSM transponders on some makes of smart phones, so they can intercommunicate using bands other than Wi-Fi, eg the 900 MHz GSM band. That frequency band offers a greater range but lower data rate than Wi-Fi, and thus will produce a much larger scale, lower speed mesh. This is a very ambitious goal, and will require collaboration with industry partners. | The http://www.servalproject.org/ web site is the Serval Project's main web presence. |
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| The Serval Project aims to eventually use Bluetooth for short range meshing, so that the larger mesh can be spared high-volume data transfers between nearby neighbours. | |
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