Vodafone and Imperial College London scientists deploy app to speed up coronavirus research

Smartphone users are being encouraged to harness the collective processing power of their mobile phones to help speed up research into treatments for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) using the free DreamLab app, as part of a partnership between Vodafone Foundation and scientists at Imperial College London. The app is using the common processing power of smartphones to compute complex data much faster than traditionally.

DreamLab is a specialist app, developed by Vodafone Foundation as an easy way for anyone to support cancer research while their phone is on charge overnight. Today, a new Corona-AI project has launched on the app, which will use the same technology to help in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak.

“As I was saying back in September 2019, when Vodafone Romania Foundation first launched DreamLab locally to help fight cancer, this app gives us all the opportunity to use technology for good deeds. Now, as we are living unprecedented times with the Coronavirus pandemic raising alarms and creating uncertainty, we have to see the broader picture: the entire world is facing challenges, but we can overcome this situation if we unite forces. The DreamLab app is a great way to do this. It doesn’t require any effort or exposure to health risks: from the comfort of your home, you can download it freely and turn it on before going to sleep. During this time, everybody is contributing something to the Coronavirus research, thus helping tens of thousands of people who are suffering from this viral disease. We can and should use technology to save lives,” said Murielle Lorilloux, CEO Vodafone Romania.

The app is available to download now in Romania, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Spain and the UK, with other countries to follow in the coming weeks.