Problem being addressed[edit | edit source]
In war-torn countries such as Cambodia, Iran, and Afghanistan, as much as 80 to 85 percent of amputees have survived injuries from land mines. Land mines account for 26,000 amputations per year and have produced 300,000 amputees worldwide (Bohil). Unfortunately, 20 percent of those hurt or killed by landmines per year are children.
Detailed description of the solution[edit | edit source]
Undercover UXO is a computer game designed to teach children how to recognize dangerous areas where landmines may be hidden. The player navigates through screen shots, searching for food to feed their pet. "Throughout the maze are the telltale warning signs of unexploded ordinance - dead cattle, disturbed ground, and the shells of burnt-out vehicles - which the player must report to a local inspector lest they risk losing their pet" (Bohil). However, Undercover UXO is limited in its potential for impact, because it cannot warrant the cost of computer infrastructure in villages by itself. Having Undercover UXO on the computer would only be beneficial if computers are made available to villages without any additional cost.
Designed by[edit | edit source]
- Designed by: This program was designed by Corey Bohil from Michigan State University's Department of Telecommunication. Bohil is the principle investigator for this project.
- Location: Michigan, United States
When and where it was tested/implemented[edit | edit source]
Field testing is scheduled to be done in Cambodia. As a whole, this program is designed for children in living in villages that have explosive remnants of war, including minefields. These countries include Cambodia, Colombia, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Russian Federation (Chechnya), Iraq, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
Funding Source[edit | edit source]
The U.S. State Department provided a grant of $77,788 for further development and testing of the game lasting from 2009-2010. The program is scheduled to conduct field tests in Cambodia to optimize usability and educational impact. Since Undercover UXO is a humanitarian project, the program will be offered free of charge to targeted populations. However, this program lacks efficacy since computer access is limited and the game is designed to run on the One Laptop Per Child Program's XO laptop ("The $100 Laptop").
References[edit | edit source]
Internally generated reports[edit | edit source]
Bohil, C. (n.d.). Undercover uxo. Link available here.
Bohil, C. (2007). Sow - undercover uxo: A mine-risk education. Link available here.
Externally generated reports[edit | edit source]
Berry, Dale. From Land mines to Lawn Mowers Prosthetic Rehabilitation Proceeds One foot at a Time. August 2001. Online article no longer available.