The river nomad can be very helpful to the world. There is much data that has not been collected about our rivers. Rivers give us water, and they can provide hydroelectricity. They can provide food and recreation. They are an amazing resource. Some information about rivers will change over time while other information will change less. All information is important. And the river nomad can use my tools to to begin collecting and sharing information. Where are those play holes on the river? This is valuable information to the kayak enthusiast who enjoys playboating in a standing wave. Many people can benefit by being able to access static information about river conditions. To put it another way, there are some big rocks in our waterways that will not be moving around too often. These rock structures can form standing waves for playboaters. Some are very hazardous and can cause kayak entrapment and drowning. Other rock structures can cause damage to boats. All of this information can be collected to help those people who enjoy navigating the waterways. I know this information isn't extremely important. But the technology used to share this information can be re-purposed to share other information. What if a dam breaks and people could benefit from an early warning system? I could build this technology. In general - this technology helps to develop awareness and reduce ignorance. The other incentive for the nomad is to help create something valuable which will help the nomad receive support from other people's labor. Imagine the internet resource concerning large river rocks, and imagine relevant advertisements which help support the work of the nomad. People will find that information valuable and because those people's attention is valuable, the river nomad will be able to receive help by providing helpful information.
The non-moving rock locations are not the only data I would like the river nomad to collect. As weather changes, hazardous river conditions can emerge. A fallen tree may create an entrapment hazard. The river nomad can document that hazard and the information can be shared so that river people can respond appropriately. Notice that I am not asking the river nomad to remove the hazard. I just want to be able to identify and share the relevant information. People can then adjust their routes, and others may decide to remove the hazard. Recognize that this technology could eventually be used to identify hazards on roadways in a similar way that they are identified on waterways. This is valuable information and the technology to increase awareness of this information is valuable too!
The first river nomads should focus on rivers and creeks where there is cellular coverage. I want to create the technology to allow cell phone owners to share valuable information in new ways. As the initiative gains momentum, there may be many adjustments to help cover larger areas. I even consider the use of amateur radio networks to extend the existing networks.
The river nomad will need a waterproof cellular device and the ability to recharge that device. I recommend a device that will allow GPS information to be shared along with pictures. I use an android device with an internal GPS. The images are automatically uploaded to my google drive. And my technology will allow the river nomad to integrate these image locations into a publicly available format. Note that there is much more information that the river nomad can share. What species and sizes of fish are being caught and where? What wildlife is visible and where? All of the data can be managed and organized into different formats. One format will be a "story format" which may keep up with timing information. Another format will allow the information to be organized to form new information relevant for different consumers whether they are recreational boaters or fisherman.
