The technological needs of economically developing regions differ greatly from those in better-funded parts of cities in California and the world. Technology in these regions is often inadequate due to weak infrastructures and limited energy resources. CITRIS is developing new ways to address these special needs.

CITRIS researchers are investigating technologies, such as the technology to equip an inexpensive off-the-shelf camera phone with a low-cost microscope. Combined, these two ordinary devices make an extraordinary tool that can instantly and affordably send microscopic images of blood cells to physicians hundreds or thousands of miles away. Other technologies in development include devices that use “lab on a chip” technology to make sophisticated diagnoses quickly and easily in the field.

In addition, cell phones—which have been widely adopted around the globe —are a perfect vehicle for new kinds of learning that complement formal schooling. CITRIS researchers are developing scalable, localizable design principles and tools for language learning, for instance by patterning the cell phone games on traditional games so that children can better use these educational tools. Other projects using mobile phones include a novel form of accounting for micro-finance groups in India as well as an application that allows agricultural cooperatives to track crop prices, monitor compliance with standards, and establish direct links with customers. Numerous CITRIS projects work with nonprofit organizations to further their progress, and many have become nonprofits on their own.