FAB ACADEMY 2014

Michael Hurtado


Invention, Intellectual Property, and Income



About my final project, as I mentioned in the previous task, what I want is to create a device for the rapid detection of diseases for the rural areas of my country.

My idea is that the device were opensource, both software and hardware because I believe in the democratisation of knowledge. However, I think it is necessary to establish a business model to ensure investigations around the project.

I decided to protect the project with a OSHW license, this would allow anyone can replicate my project and improve it.

But the business model would be the following:

As my prototype to future seeks to be a fast detector of diseases (solely I am developing the mobile platform "the guinea pig" in the Academy), what I am looking for is to provide updates of software and hardware by adding more functions to detect new diseases (additional to the default that detects) and pluggins for the software.

Currently I am working with a multidisciplinary group the other part of the project, which consist to make contact with the communities. One of my partners teaches computing in rural areas.

In addition, I exposed the project at the Ministry of Culture of my country, which is why I have been interviewed on a program of culture called "thresholds". Quite popular among scientists and technologists of Peru.

This exposure has led me to contact people at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, more specifically with a student who is part of the laboratory where it developed a test to detect quickly the tuberculosis using patches.

My idea is that the technology automate diagnosis and remove bureaucratic barriers inherent in developing countries such as mine, at least with regard to health.

At present, by the political situation there is a strike of doctors in my country, this makes nor in the same cities the people can't count with medical care.

The concept of Telemedicine is something that is already working in many universities, through various techniques, it is necessary that this knowledge ceases to be only in the Academy and begins to show its benefits with those who need it most.

My presentation