FoneAstra

Abstract

FoneAstra is a low-cost, programmable device that extends capabilities of mobile phones. We show how our device extends the functionality of non-programmable, low-tier mobile phones that are most prevalent amongst people from low-income groups in developing regions. FoneAstra enables interesting mobile applications in a variety of domains ranging from participatory sensing to remote monitoring to healthcare. The paper describes several applications that we are currently developing. As a first sample application, we demonstrate location tracking capability on low-tier mobile phones that are not programmable and do not have GPS capability. In prototype quantities, FoneAstra costs only $15.