This programme revolves around the provision of low-cost technology to people in rural areas in India who might not otherwise have opportunities to get educated, speak with a physician, communicate with family members, or acquire agricultural information. A kiosk is equipped with a personal computer, a web cam, and a simple, low bandwidth (as low as 20 kbps) telephone dial-up connection. This video conferencing set-up enables villagers to speak to - and view - someone "on the other end", rather than being forced to type an email message - an option that is key within communities with very low literacy rates.

As of this writing, 150 villages use this technology on a daily basis. In tiny villages such as Ulakapichanpatti, the software is being used in kiosks to enable schoolchildren to learn from teachers in larger cities. A qualified teacher from Chennai or any other large city can interact with a small group of children through the video conferencing set-up. OOPS iSee also connects villagers who cannot read or write to far-away relatives through voice and video mail messages. The software, which occupies half a megabyte on the computer desktop, compresses the picture and voice to as few as 3kbps. If a person talks for one full minute, the message amounts to only about 200 kilobytes.

Rural healthcare and agricultural development are other applications of this software solution. The owner of a kiosk in the small village Melur in Tamil Nadu has arranged video conferencing with both a doctor and an agricultural scientist. Villagers engaged in question-and-answer sessions with these personnel about various health issues and crops. Whereas the system that some of the hospitals use for telemedicine costs around Rs500,000, this technology costs less than Rs 30,000. The Aravind Eye Hospital in Madurai and the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore currently use the technology, which enables villages to consult with experts instead of taking expensive trips to town.

Technology, Children, Education, Rural Health.

The idea to develop this programme was conceived when the USA-educated Karthik Ayyar decided to return to his native India. At that time (1996-97), it was widely believed that good video conferencing required a fast computer, a good camera, and bandwidth. But, according to Ayyar, all 3 were expensive in India and, furthermore, a 'good' bandwidth just did not exist.

Ayyar is trying to convince the government offices and corporate houses to use the software for video conferencing. He also hopes to start a 'virtual clinic' on a subscription-based model.

Click here to download a free beta version of OOPS iSee.