Designing User-Friendly Data Collection Tools

Computer Scientist Yaw Anokwa joins the show to tell us how Open Data Kit is enabling data collection efforts around the world. From monitoring rainforests to observing elections to tracking outbreaks, ODK has done it all. We hear its origin story, ruminate on why it’s been so successful, learn how the software works, and even answer the question, “are people really using it in space?!” All that and more…

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Featuring:

• Yaw Anokwa – GitHub, X
• Adam Stacoviak – Website, GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X
• Jerod Santo – GitHub, LinkedIn, Mastodon, X

Show Notes:

• Hat tip to Brett Neese for the show idea
• Here’s the Singularity episode Jerod referenced
• University of Washington has a great backgrounder on Yaw and ODK
• Open Data Kit’s website is where to dive in
• Or check out the source on GitHub
• Nafundi – the company behind the project

Videos of ODK in action

• evaluating global health programs
• forest monitoring from the ground to the cloud
• mapping flood risk in Tanzania

Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!