This article discusses the socio-economic impact of mobile telephony in a developing country like India. Emerging markets are experiencing technology leapfrogging in terms of telecom evolution and adaptation. While the rich and affluent use mobile technology to enhance their lifestyle, for the poor, mobile based applications can augment their daily livelihood. Due to economic compulsions, the f...

Given the uncertain future living of peasant households when they rent out farmland, the situation of livelihood assets is important for keeping sustainable livelihood. In this paper, the livelihood assets indicators were selected based on DFID’s sustainable livelihoods framework, and Monte Carlo method was adopted to establish the assessment model. The empirical study of peasant households sur...

The paper describes a collection of initiatives delivering support via mobile phones to small enterprises, small farms, and the self-employed. Using a review of 26 examples of such services currently operational in Africa, the analysis identifies five functions of mobile livelihood services: Mediated Agricultural Extension, Market Information, Virtual Marketplaces, Financial Services, and Direc...

A study was conducted to identify how aquaculture assists in developing sustainable livelihood to the fish farming community in rural Bangladesh during the period from January to December, 2009. The Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA), a conceptual framework that aims to ameliorate poverty was applied to understanding the role of aquaculture in the Mymensingh area of the North-central Banglad...

Massive actuator arrays found their applications in robotics, pharmaceutics, aerospace, etc. Compared with electrically and/or pneumatically powered actuator array, hydraulic actuator has the comprehensive advantages of higher force density (i.e. force / actuation area), better controllability, and simpler remote control accessibility. This paper presents approaches to construct and control a m...