COBWEBEnd of Summer 2015 Co-Design Projects

Celebration,

Machynlleth,21st Sept, 2015

Chris Higginschris.higgins@ed.ac.uk

Sta

Introduction to COBWEB

• Research Project: Funded under the European Commission’s Framework Programme 7

• Started Nov 2012 for 4 years (Month 35 of 48)• First demonstrator completed, validated and tested

during the 2015 Summer field season• Why for COBWEB and Citizen Observatory’s?

– GPS enabled, internet connected mobile devices now ubiquitous

– Lots of potential, eg, can citizen sourced environmental data be useful for decision making?

Key research questions

• Generic crowdsourcing infrastructure– A toolkit which can be downloaded and used

in multiple scenarios• Data which supports policy

• Address data quality issues• Open standards• Security and privacy

Project Partners

UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves

Sites of excellence to foster harmonious integration of people and nature for sustainable development through participation, knowledge sharing, poverty reduction and human well-being improvements, cultural values and society's ability to cope with change, thus contributing to the Millennium Development Goals

Why Biosphere Reserves?

• Areas of high nature conservation value• People• Enthusiastic local communities interested in

sustainability• Existing internal communication structures• Designed for purpose – sustainability

science• Network facilitates comparative functions,

eg, between countries

COBWEB Biosphere Reserves

Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere

Mount OlympusGorge of Samaria

Wadden See & Hallig islands

Dyfi Biosphere Reserve #1

www.biosfferdyfi.org.uk

Dyfi Biosphere Reserve #2

Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (2013)

©Co

untr

ysid

e Co

unci

l for

Wal

es. A

ll ri

ghts

res

erve

d.

Co-design

Not just apps #1

A number of demonstrator mobile phone applications

– Exactly what, deliberately left open and subject to discussion with community

3 pilot case study areas:1. Validating earth

observation products2. Biological monitoring3. Flooding

Not just apps #2

How COBWEB works

The crowd

Validated Quality approved Compliant

Authoritative data

Data client- Commercial- Government- Community

Data

Sensors in the environment

Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)

TRL1 Basic principles observed and reported2 Technology concept and/or application formulated3 Active R&D initiated

Experimental proof of concept4 Technology validation within a laboratory environment5 Technology validation in relevant environment6 Demonstration in a relevant environment7 Demonstration in an operational environment8 Actual system completed and qualified through test and

demonstration9 Actual system proven through successful mission

operations

Key components at different TRL’s

• Conflation• QA workflow editor• QA WPS/services• Sensor networks• GeoNetwork/Portal• Middleware• Authoring tool/Survey designer• Apps• User management and privacy• Access control• Authentication

The app itself

Key features• Capture information

– Images– Audio– Text– Location

• High quality background maps• Saved maps for use “offline”• Custom data collection forms• Manual location correction

View COBWEB Portal

Join COBWEB Portal

Customise your own app for your survey

Customise your own app for your survey

Customise your own app for your survey

Citizen captures data on their phone

Some Project Dynamics

1. Project started 1st Nov, 2012 and runs for

4 years, software now validated and tested• Last quarter of project now…

2. An “SME Targeted Collaborative” project• 30% EU contribution to SMEs

3. Develop 'citizens' observatories’• Mobilise citizens

• Emphasised during Grant Negotiation

• “Co-design” fund established

4. A research project doing innovative work• Crowdsourced environmental data to aid decision

making

Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)

TRL1 Basic principles observed and reported2 Technology concept and/or application formulated3 Active R&D initiated

Experimental proof of concept4 Technology validation within a laboratory environment5 Technology validation in relevant environment6 Demonstration in a relevant environment7 Demonstration in an operational environment8 Actual system completed and qualified through test and

demonstration9 Actual system proven through successful mission

operations

Some Project Dynamics

Mainly medium to high TRLs

Requires high TRLs

By definition, lower TRLs

1. Project started 1st Nov, 2012 and runs for

4 years, software now validated and tested• Last quarter of project now…

2. An “SME Targeted Collaborative” project• 30% EU contribution to SMEs

3. Develop 'citizens' observatories’• Mobilise citizens

• Emphasised during Grant Negotiation

• “Co-design” fund established

4. A research project doing innovative work• Crowdsourced environmental data to aid decision

making

Balancing Act

• Validating our concept of Citizen Observatory

• Testing the software• But, research and development

continues in parallel

• However, we do recognise some components need to be of higher TRL

• But, this is a research and development project– Don’t have all the answers– Don’t know exactly where we are going to end up

Remainder of project…emphasis shifting

• Rolling out software• Getting greater buy-in• Sustainability• Progressing the research agenda• Greater focus on Greece, Germany• Additional Biosphere Reserves

Some parameters constraining 2016 activity

• More people using the technology• A broader demographic• Using their own handsets• Geographically more widespread• Data finds its way into existing

infrastructures like the National Biodiversity Network

What would I like out of todays activity

• Dialogue– Between the Co-Design projects– Co-Design projects and COBWEBbers– Co-Design projects, COBWEBbers and you

• Assistance in formulating plans for 2016• Some fun, lot of good work done and a

knees up overdue

Thank you

• Website: http://cobwebproject.eu/• Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/Ita05

or use the QR code• Follow us: @cobwebfp7• And look out for members of the

COBWEB team at events. chris.higgins@ed.ac.uk