Openly Published Environmental Sensing (OPEnS) | Distributed Sensing, Distributed Society

Abstract:

In a world where digital files become physical objects (through 3D printing), where low cost sensor technologies become more accessible, and a growing community of intrepid researchers seek to apply these capacities to advance scientific observations - prospects for measuring (which we hope translates to understanding) our geosphere through distributed sensing are unprecedented. Yet barriers persist that position these new capabilities behind steep learning curves, disciplinary practices, and access to machines. The Openly Published Environmental Sensing Lab was founded as a USDA and NSF initiative driven by engineering students to help professional researchers overcome these barriers and push instrumentation into new directions. However, COVID-19 has disrupted the very fabric of our supply chains and what it means to collaborate in-person to design and test new technology.
How has social distancing caused us to re-evaluate and re-tool how we collaborate, opening up new opportunities for working together? How have we preserved hands-on experiences in the virtual world? Can we build community in the post-pandemic distributed society and how can *you* plug into harnessing and contributing to OPEnS tech and insights? A variety of gizmos and goodies for sensing applications across water, earth, and atmospheric domains will also be highlighted.
http://www.open-sensing.org/projects