A geolocation-aware mobile crowdsourcing solution for the emergency supply of oxygen cylinders

Abstract Emergency medical oxygen cylinders are commonly used as first aid kits to prevent strokes during chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) / asthma attacks. In this paper, we propose a geolocation-aware mobile crowdsourcing solution for the emergency supply of oxygen cylinders to patients suffering from sudden breathing difficulties. The proposed crowdsourcing solution leverages the proliferation of mobile devices to connect requestors of emergency oxygen cylinders with potential suppliers from the crowd during crises. We describe the design process of the system, its technical implementation details, and key features. We also discuss some of the encountered challenges and summarize the actions taken to address them.