Developing technology for the future of the planet

Abstract

The design pressures on mobile phones have created rugged, efficient and multi-functional devices which transfer well to countries with limited resources or infrastructure. This is one of the reasons why Africa is currently the fastest growing mobile phone market in the world. As part of our research into Computing for the Future of the Planet we have been considering how the constraints imposed by this environment could shape future technology. In this talk I will share our thoughts from recent visits to universities in Africa and some of our ongoing research efforts in this area.