{"599274":{"#nid":"599274","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Capturing the Wind","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAt the corner of Fifth and Spring Streets in Tech Square, attached to a light pole, is a small sensor you\u0026rsquo;ve likely never noticed. It\u0026rsquo;s constantly monitoring environmental conditions in the area\u0026mdash;temperature, air pressure, and humidity\u0026mdash;and collecting and storing data. By the end of the year, a new environmental sensing device with a suite of measuring instruments will join it.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026ldquo;This one will be a little more flashy because the interior portion will spin with the wind, so it may catch a few more eyes,\u0026rdquo; explained Noah Posner, research scientist with the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/spav.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/spav.gatech.edu\/imagine-lab\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIMAGINE Lab\u003C\/a\u003E, who is part of the team that designed and built the open-source sensor device.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe new, more feature-rich sensor will gather data on wind speed and direction, light, and possibly even sound. It will be integrated into an existing network of 24 sensors across campus called the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.urbanclimate.gatech.edu\/HOBO.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Climate Network\u003C\/a\u003E. The goal of the network, established by the Urban Climate Lab, is to \u0026ldquo;identify the location of hot spots, measure the impact of ongoing development on micro-climatic conditions, and assess how the use of vegetation and cool materials around campus can moderate warming trends,\u0026rdquo; according to the lab\u0026rsquo;s website.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nWhile the existing sensors run on coin cell batteries, which researchers change manually, the new sensor is solar-powered. It collects data in real-time and periodically transmits the data using a long range, low power wireless platform called LoRa.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026quot;The primary intention of this project is to provide an open platform of spatially distributed environmental sensors,\u0026quot; said Matthew Swarts, project team member and senior research faculty in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/design.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECollege of Design\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026quot;This allows students and faculty to more easily explore and test novel algorithms for sensing human activity at the urban scale.\u0026quot;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThe 8-inch-wide\u0026nbsp;carousel-shaped sensor is made of PETG, a tough, UV-resistant plastic commonly used to make food containers. Using the plastic, researchers can easily and inexpensively fabricate the sensor enclosure in small quantities. They\u0026rsquo;ll deploy the first sensor by the end of December, and 19 more by next spring.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nThis research is part of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ipat.gatech.edu\/2017-ipat-smart-connected-communities-data-pilot-grants\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EIPaT\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ipat.gatech.edu\/2017-ipat-smart-connected-communities-data-pilot-grants\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;Smart \u0026amp; Connected Communities Data Pilot Grant program\u003C\/a\u003E. The grants provide funding for one semester to further data-centric, interdisciplinary research in the area of Smart \u0026amp; Connected Communities. Learn more about the project on Friday, December 1 at the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ipat.gatech.edu\/hg\/item\/593323\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESmart Cities Speaker Series at Atlanta City Hall\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENew sensors will gather wind speed data, and more, to better understand micro-climates.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New sensors will gather wind speed data, and more, to better understand micro-climates."}],"uid":"27980","created_gmt":"2017-11-29 20:18:12","changed_gmt":"2019-10-07 14:47:50","author":"Alyson Key","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2017-11-29T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2017-11-29T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"557991":{"id":"557991","type":"image","title":"Matthew Swarts 2016","body":null,"created":"1470160556","gmt_created":"2016-08-02 17:55:56","changed":"1475895361","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:56:01","alt":"Matthew Swarts 2016","file":{"fid":"218244","name":"swarts_matthew.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swarts_matthew.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/swarts_matthew.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":125271,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/swarts_matthew.jpg?itok=0-JBt6BZ"}}},"media_ids":["557991"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"594329","name":"Smart Cities and Inclusive Innovation"}],"categories":[{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167987","name":"smart cities"},{"id":"179311","name":"platforms"},{"id":"176365","name":"Matthew Swarts"},{"id":"176366","name":"Noah Posner"},{"id":"5874","name":"imagine lab"},{"id":"176367","name":"Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization"},{"id":"168831","name":"College of Design"},{"id":"176368","name":"micro-climate"},{"id":"807","name":"environment"},{"id":"167318","name":"sensor"},{"id":"2329","name":"wind"},{"id":"176369","name":"Georgia Tech Climate Network"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAlyson Powell\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Officer\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute for People and Technology\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}