by Wen-Pei Wang
Open Source Applications in COVID-19
Open source originally refers to a mechanism where the design elements are released for users to use and modify the design at will. Although its application is mostly seen in software development, the mechanism has gradually become more prevalent in products, programs, and projects that are released for public participation, discussion, and modification. This change can accelerate open source development, increase its transparency, and promote public well-being.
Taiwan Maker Chen Jiaen donates 3D protective mask and authorizes open source files
Chen Jiaen, who founded the Taiwan Open Source Medical Materials Research Community (OSMSTW), has his own background as a researcher at the 3D Printing Center of the National Defense Medical College and Sanzong. When he saw this demand, he found a 3D printing file of a protective mask on the Internet. Print one or two, and try it on the first-line medical care in the hospital. The most practical clinical feedback allows him to make corrections and improvements quickly.
Chen Jiaen himself is a Maker, a person with a medical school background and an open source community, it happens that he has these conditions, so see if there is demand and act quickly! Before and after Chen Jiaen sent 3,000 protective masks to 10 domestic hospitals, including the hospitals of the three general system and the general managers of Taipei and Taichung.
Develop and provide Taiwan epidemic information website for Chinese people
In addition to the open source documents on epidemic prevention materials, there are also websites developed by the Taiwanese to provide information on the epidemic situation in Taiwan for the Chinese to inquire. Lai Zhengwei, a planner of the Geographic Information System Research Center of Fengjia University, imitated the practice of foreign universities, and also used the ArcGIS open data platform website to design the “Wuhan Pneumonia Epidemic Dashboard” belonging to Taiwan, so that people can grasp the general situation of the epidemic in Taiwan and neighboring countries.
In late January of this year, the System Science and Engineering Center of Johns Hopkins University in the United States used the function of creating a custom website provided by ArcGIS Online to contribute open data and create a global “Wuhan Pneumonia Epidemic Dashboard”. It links the World Health Organization (WHO) and official information from China and the United States, etc., and allows companies and people around the world to visualize the global diagnosis and death of the epidemic through a dashboard interface.
The “2019-ncov (Wuhan_Coronavirus) Taiwan” dashboard developed by Lai Zhengwei was inspired by the practices of Johns Hopkins University. The Taiwan version of the interface he created is aimed at presenting information that is close to Taiwan’s concerns, can directly see confirmed cases in Taiwan and neighboring countries, and has more detailed changes on the local epidemic, including cumulative notification of cases , The number of cases that have been excluded, and information that was negative in the isolation test and the initial test.
Conclusion
Open source technology has provided great help and influence in the fight against COVID-19. Through the participation of the public, everyone’s effort can be gathered to accelerate the development of new technology and projects that can reach people in need immediately.
