SNet: Infrastructure-Independent Offline Communication for Emergency Shelters
Supervisor Name
Ahmad Alsadeh
Supervisor Email
asadeh@birzeit.edu
University
Birzeit University
Research field
Electrical Engineering
Bio
Ahmad Alsadeh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Birzeit University, where he currently serves as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. He earned his PhD in Network Security from the Hasso-Plattner-Institut at the University of Potsdam in 2013, following a B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and an M.Sc. in Scientific Computing from Birzeit University. An active researcher in network security, applied cryptography, and systems security, Dr. Alsadeh has contributed numerous publications to international journals and conferences and received accolades such as the 1st Place award at the 2011 International IPv6 Application Contest. Beyond his academic and administrative roles, he is a prominent leader in internet governance, serving as the President of the Internet Society (ISOC) Palestine Chapter and as a primary representative for the chapter at ICANN/APRALO.
Description
The SNet project (Infrastructure-Independent Offline Communication for Emergency Shelters) proposes a rapidly deployable, low-power, and infrastructure-independent system designed to enable structured, offline communication in post-disaster environments where cellular and Internet services have collapsed. Utilizing a Raspberry Pi as a central access point and a locally hosted, browser-based web application—built with the Flask framework—SNet creates a "localized communication bubble" that allows users to coordinate via real-time text messaging and SOS alerts without requiring native application installation. The system employs a publish/subscribe model combined with role-based access control (e.g., separating civilians, medical staff, security, and logistics) to organize information into site-specific channels, thereby reducing information overload and ensuring targeted communication. To address physical challenges within shelters, such as signal attenuation in multi-room or multi-building environments, the design supports coverage extension using lightweight, low-cost modules like ESP32-based repeaters.
