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Filipino startup recognized in addressing SDG's using space tech

November 18, 2020, 3:39 pm

<p>2020 GEO SDG Awardees together with Dominic Vincent "Doc" Ligot, co-founder and chief technology officer of CirroLytix</p>

2020 GEO SDG Awardees together with Dominic Vincent "Doc" Ligot, co-founder and chief technology officer of CirroLytix

MANILA – A Filipino startup has been recognized globally for developing a dengue hotspot prediction system using satellite and climate data in the 2020 Group on Earth Observations Sustainable Development Goals (GEO SDG) Awards for the sectoral category, for-profit.

The Advanced Early Dengue Prediction and Exploration Service (Project AEDES) is one of startup CirroLytix’s flagship projects developed during the 2019 National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) International Space Apps Challenge.

It combines digital, climate, and remote sensing to nowcast dengue trends and detect mosquito habitats to help pre-empt cases of dengue.

Project AEDES process leverages normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR), and normalized difference water index (NDWI) readings from Landsat and Sentinel-2 to estimate still water areas on the ground, which is correlated with dengue case counts from national health centers.

Dominic Vincent "Doc" Ligot, co-founder and chief technology officer of CirroLytix, describes Project AEDES as an "early detection of panics from online searches, anticipating case counts from environment readings, but most importantly pinpointing hotspots from mosquito habitat detection."

Sustainable dev’t efforts

The GEO SDG Awards recognize the productivity, ingenuity, proficiency, novelty, and exemplary communications of results and experiences in the use of Earth observations to support sustainable development.

CirroLytix Research Services was formed to create social impact through big data. Through the application of machine learning, data engineering, remote sensing, and social listening, the Philippines-based data analytics firm hopes to help governments, researchers, non-government organizations (NGO), and social enterprises achieve positive change.

The Pinoy-made dengue mapper tool previously won the annual international hackathon of NASA globally in the best use of data, the solution that best makes space data accessible, or leverages it to a unique application.

COVID-19 impact measurement

Aside from winning last year, CirroLytix also developed an integrated public policy information portal measuring the impact of the coronavirus pandemic using Earth observation, in-country economic and human mobility data, and global infection case counts, thus winning again in the Space Apps COVID-19 Challenge for the same category in the best use of data.

Named G.I.D.E.O.N. (Global Impact Detection from Emitted Light, Onset of COVID-19, and Nitrogen Dioxide), this dashboard for policy makers and economic planners shows the impact of COVID-19 on various countries and effects on the economy and environment.

With these achievements, Cirrolytix is recognized in their remarkable efforts to utilize Earth observation data to predict dengue fever cases in the Philippines in order to improve public health.

"I am glad that the GEO SDG Awards Panel has selected CirroLytix for an award, recognizing the importance of this work in developing an EO-integrated dengue case predictor mapping system," according to Argyro Kavvada, lead for Sustainable Development Goals of the Earth Science Division, NASA's Science Mission Directorate and executive secretary of the international Earth Observations for the Sustainable Development Goals (EO4SDG).

"These awards really could stand as an inspiration to all of us about what can be done, and what needs to be done to ensure that Earth-observations contribute to make our world a better, and more sustainable place," said Lawrence Friedl director of the applied sciences program of the earth science division, NASA's science mission directorate and co-chair of EO4SDG.

DTI Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba lauded CirroLytix saying it’s a “blessing amid this pandemic and economic crisis that we are currently faced with.” (PR)

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