Project Symmetry

Grey-Box: Enhancing Global Knowledge with Project Symmetry Grey-Box is a social innovation startup dedicated to addressing global challenges through technology. Our latest initiative, Project Symmetry, leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate Wikipedia's translation efforts in less-represented languages (those with fewer than 1 million articles). By building a semantic understanding of similar articles in various Wikipedia languages, Project Symmetry provides relevant translations for missing information, promoting inclusivity and equal access to knowledge. [More about the company here: https://www.grey-box.ca/] The Challenge: Language barriers in knowledge dissemination can significantly hinder global understanding and education. This problem is especially prevalent in less-represented languages on Wikipedia, where the amount of available content is limited. Project Symmetry aims to solve this by developing a comprehensive, AI-driven translation tool that ensures accurate and contextually relevant translations, bridging gaps in knowledge accessibility. Grey-Box is a nonprofit structured under the principle of mobile-first and remote-first. Diversity is not only encouraged, it is an integral part of the strength of the team and its projects.

Project Mesh

Grey-Box: Extending Wireless Connectivity with Project Mesh Grey-Box is a social innovation startup dedicated to addressing global challenges through technology. [More about the company here: https://www.grey-box.ca/] Project Mesh is our latest initiative aimed at enhancing connectivity in low-connectivity areas. Project Mesh is an application that enables Android devices to connect to each other and send files and messages over long distances without requiring internet connectivity. Project Mesh integrates and enhances networking capabilities in low connectivity areas, presenting developers and NGOs with new opportunities for features such as text communication between wireless clients, document sharing, or sharing an internet connection. The project aims to extend the wireless reach of low-cost, non-mobile Android devices by configuring them to network cooperatively. This will allow wirelessly-enabled devices to autonomously discover and connect with similarly configured devices within range. The developed capabilities will be integrated with Grey-box’s UNI Android app. Project Mesh will also set the stage for developing software features that will utilize the mesh for new functionality. This will increase the amount of content available to users and provide a framework for offering new functionalities. The Challenge: Connectivity issues in low-connectivity areas can significantly hinder communication and access to information. Project Mesh addresses this by developing a mesh networking solution that allows wirelessly-enabled Android devices to autonomously discover and connect with similarly configured devices within range. This enhances the availability of content and provides a framework for offering new functionalities.

Project Cybercafe

Grey-Box: Enabling Equitable Internet Access with Project Cybercafe Project Nature: The project is primarily software-based, focusing on the development of a smart hotspot application for Android devices. Students may also need to understand embedded systems and low-level subsystems on rooted Android devices. Grey-Box is a social innovation startup that is working on providing free Wi-Fi access to educational content in areas where internet and electricity access is problematic. Project Cybercafe is our latest initiative aimed at providing affordable and manageable internet access in underserved areas. Project Cybercafe is a smart hotspot that enables Android devices to share their internet connectivity with other Wi-Fi devices while adding rules per user such as time limits, speed limits, and total download limits. [More about the company here: https://www.grey-box.ca/] The Challenge: Around 50% of the world lives offline, having not connected to the internet in the last three months. In Africa, the average cost for 1GB of data is 7% of the average monthly salary. Even in North America, 50% of rural Canada does not have access to the minimum internet speed. Project Cybercafe addresses this by developing a solution that allows for the management of internet access, making it affordable and efficient for users in low-connectivity areas.

Project UNI

Grey-box is a social innovation startup dedicated to providing free WiFi access to educational content in areas where internet and electricity access are unreliable. Our flagship project, UNI, is a revolutionary low-cost device (and soon an Android application) that allows WiFi access to everyone, everywhere. Even in the most remote or underserved areas, UNI ensures access to vital educational resources such as Wikipedia, Khan Academy, MOOC-type online courses, and medical databases. By addressing this critical global issue, UNI aims to empower millions of students and individuals worldwide. Grey-box is a nonprofit structured under the principle of mobile-first and remote-first. Diversity is not only encouraged, it is an integral part of the strength of the team and its projects. (More about the company here: https://www.grey-box.ca/) The Challenge: Despite significant advancements, nearly half of the world's population remains offline, exacerbating socio-economic inequalities. In Africa, the cost of 1GB of data is 7% of the average monthly salary. In North America, 50% of rural Canada lacks access to the minimum recommended internet speed. The challenge is to develop a robust, scalable solution that provides reliable offline access to digital resources in these regions. This project requires innovative solutions in cybersecurity, user management, content delivery, and device compatibility.