Introduction to COBWEB
Plas Machynlleth,20th May, 2014
Chris Higgins,Project Coordinator,
EDINA, University of [email protected]
Citizen Observatory Web
• 4 year research project
• Crowdsourced environmental data to aid decision making
• Introduce quality measures and reduce uncertainty
• Combine crowdsourced data with existing sources of data
Project Partners
COBWEB Biosphere Reserves
• Germany: Wadden See and Hallig Islands• Greece: Mount Olympus & Gorge of Samaria• Left open possibility of expansion to further BRs
later in project
UK (Wales): Biosffer Dyfi– Development work
concentrated here
What are we going to build?
A number of demonstrator mobile phone applications
– Stakeholder discussion to provide detail
3 pilot case study areas:1. Validating earth
observation products2. Biological monitoring3. Flooding
Case Studies
1. Community Woodlands2. Pollinators3. FP7 BIO_SOS4. Validation of EO Products (Gwylio)5. Education6. Ecotourism7. Smart Citizen8. Flooding
Where we are at the moment
• Month 19 of 48• Milestone 3 (First Welsh Demonstrator) Nov
2014, coming over horizon• By 2015: ready for field testing with citizens• Some tentative steps already taken:
– Dyfi Woodlands– Outward Bound Aberdyfi– Ysgol Bro Dyfi/RSPB– Talybont Floodees– Abersystwyth University MSc group
Some objectives
• Increase in local awareness of the project• More individuals/organisations willing to
work with us in various ways – or at least thinking about it
• Provide information to enable attendees to begin formulating a response to a Call for Proposal
• Better understanding of how the citizen engagement aspects of the project might progress
Launch for proposals
• More of a pre-launch, town meeting• Brief key organisations/individuals• Feedback to help us run the Call for
Proposals more effectively• Actual CfP will be go up on the COBWEB
website on 16th June• A number of small contracts (of the order
£500 – £10000)
Two main components to engagement
1. Co-design: test prototype apps and provide feedback as we develop them
• Underway already, to an extent
2. Get people (volunteers) out and about with COBWEB software in
• Citizens in field from Jan 2015 onwards
Not mutually exclusive. Proposals could include both
Co-Design Objectives
• Engage in dialogue with members of the COBWEB consortium to assist in the design of applications
• Engage in dialogue with members of the COBWEB consortium to assist in identifying further user requirements
“Citizen in the field” Objectives
• Adapt the generic COBWEB capability to address specific needs within your area of expertise
• Arrange and manage groups of volunteers in field testing COBWEB application(s) in the Dyfi Biosphere area
Process
• Mon 16th June: CfP issued• Mon 21st July: deadline for proposals
– May contact some applicants individually for refinement
• Mon 4th Aug: decision, contact applicants• Mid Sept: kickoff meeting with all successful
applicants– Looking for cooperation opportunities– Discuss technical support– Schedule
Open questions
• Further rounds?• Terms and conditions will be published with
the CfP• Will require some kind of report