Reclaiming high technology: Fighting for the hardware commons
A Lecture by Dr. Tarek Loubani
(Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University)
Wednesday, October 14
6 PM- 7:30 PM
Arts West Arts 215
Department of Art History and Communication Studies
Dr. Tarek Loubani is a Palestinian-Canadian physician who works in London, Ont. and in the Gaza Strip. As the head of the Glia Project, Dr. Loubani designs and provides high quality free/open source medical equipment to impoverished areas in need. His recently developed 3D printed stethoscope, which matches the performance of the market leading model at a fraction of the cost, is helping to alleviate the shortage of basic medical supplies in Gaza caused by the eight-year blockade.
Dr. Loubani is also behind Empower GAZA, a crowdfunded project that brings solar power to hospitals in Gaza facing unpredictable power cuts.
Dr. Loubani continues to develop inexpensive and non-proprietary alternatives to inaccessble medical devices, now building a 3D printed pulse oximeter, a machine that measures the oxygen levels in blood, and an electrocardiogram. Read more about the 3d printer.