David Wild
The Crisis Technology Innovation Lab at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering and goTenna, the world's leading mobile mesh networking company, are forming a partnership around a research project aimed at creating reliable communications infrastructure for frontline responders in the event of a catastrophic emergency that would otherwise disrupt centralized networks.
The goTenna Pro Resilience Network, which supports nonprofit, research, and volunteer organizations during immediate crisis response, will provide CTIL with discounted goTenna Pro hardware and software products, as well as access to expert technical support and resources. goTenna Pro’s professional-grade mesh networking radio devices pair with smartphones to enable collaborative mapping, messaging, and personnel tracking in areas where cell, Wi-Fi, and satellite systems are unavailable.
“We look forward to working with goTenna to develop the alternative communications technologies that will keep first responders connected through reliable infrastructure,” said David Wild, an associate professor of informatics and computing and the co-director of CTIL. “With ever-increasing natural disasters and other unprecedented challenges, we need to build reliable technology to thrive and become crisis-resilient as a society.”
CTIL will receive access to goTenna Pro X devices and the company’s software development kit, allowing the lab to conduct research and field trials with members of local and federal emergency response teams. CTIL will look for ways to increase the efficiency of search-and-rescue and wilderness medical emergencies while also testing how the devices can best be used in a simulated disaster environment.
“This partnership will bring the research expertise of IU and our emergency response partners together with the technical expertise of goTenna,” Wild said.
“We are proud to launch the goTenna Pro Resilience Network to extend the edge of connectivity to countless frontline humanitarian and emergency workers who show up and respond — no matter the risks,” said Daniela Perdomo, Co-Founder and CEO of goTenna. “As we approach potentially record-breaking storm and wildfire seasons, we know the people who put their lives on the line for others should be able to depend on a resilient lifeline to each other and back to central command whether they’re on- or off-the-grid.”
CTIL, which is a collaboration between the Luddy School and IUs’ University Information Technology Services, accelerates research on next generation technologies for the front lines of emergency and crisis response.