Giving a “byte” sized contribution to defeat Covid-19

#DreamLab

One of the things slowing research in the medical field is the limited access to computer processing power to crunch data. The DreamLab App from the Vodafone Foundation provides researchers access to a cloud based, dedicated virtual supercomputer to accelerate research into specific projects of national scientific importance. This includes ground breaking work being carried out by Imperial College London on COVID-19.

You may not know it, but your smartphone (the clue is in the name) is actually a small but very powerful device possessing a CPU capable of performing complex arithmetic and logic calculations.  The DreamLab app can harness the spare processing power of your smartphone to solve small problems sent to the device and return the results to the research teams involved in projects, such as COVID-19 on their cloud based virtual supercomputer. In short, your phone can work alongside others to provide the additional computing power researchers need.

Installing the app is straightforward and each step is well explained and engaging.  You are first greeted by a “Welcome” message and in my case, stating that I was the 675,859 person to use the app.  Steps 2, 3 & 4 explain the role your smartphone plays in the project and how and when the app works (i.e when charging only).  Once installation is completed, you are returned to the screen illustrated to the right with the all-important options menu along the bottom of the screen. The settings option provides a comprehensive array of information avenues for you to peruse including the network option, this highlights both the WiFi and mobile monthly data contribution options, the former offering 0-unlimited MB per month and the latter 0-500 MB per month.  I selected WiFi data contribution only and during the first three nights (almost 19 hours) of number crunching, the app used 13.7mb of Wifi data.  

The “POWER DREAMLAB” button connects your device to the DreamLab Team and you are prompted to the fact that the number crunching activity has commenced.  This activity can be stopped at any time. I would recommend using the app when you are asleep and allow the team maximum, uninterrupted access to your dormant processing power.  The app uses the photos and media folders on your device to store the research problems while they are being processed and solved.  When solved, DreamLab retrieves the files it created for algorithmic purposes and transfers them to the cloud.  At no time does the app access any data in the two folders mentioned.  To allay any fears that the app may be spying on my device, I ran a quick check on my BlackBerry using the native DTEK security monitoring feature and received the all clear, see screen shot opposite.  There was also no indication that all this arithmetical wizardry taking place for eight hours at a time on the device was in any way adversely affecting the overall temperature of the battery. 

Every so often the good in human nature delivers people like Captain Tom and Tony Hudgell who raise fantastic amounts of money for well-deserved charities.  We can’t all be super heroes like this brave old pensioner and astonishing five-year-old boy, but we can do something immensely impactful even though our personal contribution may at first sight appear insignificant.

The power of coming together to create something special is the jewel behind the #DreamTeam Project.  I felt like I had been given a satisfying dose of altruism when I checked the app after the first weekend night time number crunching exercise. The app indicated that the tiny CPU sitting idle on the bed side table whilst I slept over the weekend had completed 66 calculations during the 18 hours and 46 minutes my CPU was used by the Imperial College Team.  I had actually given something, albeit only in a virtual sense.

Go on, give it a go. Share the App with your colleagues and together we can share our collective Smartphone processing power and do out “bit” to combat Covid-19 and other medical research projects the App is designed to assist. You also don’t have to be a Vodafone customer to use it.

Found out more and download from here https://www.vodafone.co.uk/mobile/dreamlab

Post by John Madden - Sales Manager - London