The Crowdless app in action
A free app developed by LSE students and alumni to help people observe social distancing has gone live and is now available to download.
The app, previously called Keep your Distance, has been rebranded as Crowdless and can be found on the Apple app store and the Google Play Store.
LSE PhD student Yohan Iddawela and alumni Alex Barnes and Sebastian Mueller developed the app to help people make informed decisions about visiting essential locations such as supermarkets.
Using AI technology and crowdsourced information, Crowdless provides users with real-time updates on the busyness of certain key locations.
Commenting on the app’s launch, Economic Geography student Yohan Iddawela said: “Our hope is that Crowdless can help people observe social distancing more effectively, stay safe, and play a part in slowing down the infection rate of COVID-19. We’re also committed to ensuring that this remains 100% free for everyone to use.
“We’re humbled by the amount of support we’ve received. The waitlist for our pre-release version was growing at a phenomenal rate and we have been receiving so many offers for help from people across the world.”
The prototype for Crowdless was developed in just three days by the group who run UK start-up company Lanterne, which aims to use data to improve safety and promote economic development.
LSE alumnus Sebastian Mueller added: “Lanterne has always been about helping people to stay safe, and the COVID-19 pandemic is arguably one of the biggest safety threats right now. Focusing on building something that helps people to cope with the current situation was therefore only logical. I’m really pleased that we were able to move from the first idea to launch within only a month. This certainly would not have been possible without the hard work of our very dedicated team and the great support from our partners.”
To access the app, please visit the Crowdless website or search for Crowdless on the app store.
For more information about the app’s development click here and visit Lanterne’s website.