Pando.js: a platform for scientific volunteer computing on the Web

Scientists need more and more computing resources to do research. At the same time, a huge amount of available computing resources is currently completely ignored in all the devices and computers we use to surf the Web. All that computing power could be used to make progress on research about cancer, climate change, epidemiology, etc. that affects all of humanity. The overall project goal is to make these computing resources available to scientists working on public research. The project consists in creating Pando.js, a volunteer computing platform in the form of a website the general public will visit to contribute computing power. The computing
tasks will run in a webpage, created automatically from a scientist’s program source code, and accessed through social media links. The outcome will be a more convenient platform both for scientists and the general public to exchange volunteer computing resources than existing alternatives.

Faculty Supervisor:

Laurie Hendren

Student:

Partner:

Inria Grenoble - Rhône-Alpes Research Centre

Discipline:

Computer science

Sector:

University:

McGill University

Program:

Globalink Research Award