Making Sense, Ideas for change, the Barcelona Global Health Institute (ISGlobal) and the neighbours of Sant Antoni, are collaborating in the development of a project on air pollution and noise. The objective of the initiative is to take measures of air pollution and noise in some points of the crossing between Tamarit and Compte Borrell. For this reason, members of the Fab Lab Barcelona and ISGlobal technical teams have left the measuring devices on the balconies of the first floors to the following points:

At the junction of Compte Borrell and Tamarit
For the Compte Borrell near the previous crossing
At Gran Via and Compte Borrell
Near Sant Antoni Market

In addition, they have put the air pollution and acoustic devices in the mobile unit of measurement of air pollution of the government of Catalonia located in the Tamarit-Borrell crossing.

The objective of this project will be to compare the data of the air pollution and the noise of the days before the day without cars and with the same day without cars.

The devices were placed on september 14th and were taken on September 26th. They have used two types of measuring devices, one of them measures the particles (microaeth) and the other noise (Smartcitizenkit).

The post Measuring air and acoustic pollution with the community of Sant Antoni appeared first on Making Sense.

With GammaSense we hope to bring this down considerably.

In the pilot GammaSense, the Waag Society is scouting the possibilities to design and build new tools that can be used with and by civilians that want to monitor gamma radiation.

Since the seventies, there have been widespread concerns about the potential health risks nuclear power plants. When the power plant at Tsernobyl exploded in 1986, it was a Swedish monitoring network that alerted Europe about the disaster, so protective measures could be taken.

In 2011 the nuclear disaster in Fukushima made clear, that although a lot of technology has become available in the meantime, from that fact it does not necessarily follow that citizens have the tools or means to get objective information available when they (most) need it.

Governments often struggle with the issue of openness whenever calamities occur. When in the aftermath of Fukushima the Safecast DIY geiger-teller units were developed and deployed together with local communities, it was actually the government that was informed, together with the general public.

It is well possible to measure gamma radiation yourself with tools you probably already have today: any smartphone, laptop or tablet can basically do the trick. By taping your webcam with black tape, it’s possible to create a Gamma radiation sensor within seconds. In several co-creation workshops we will dive into the possibilities together with local communities, experts and programmers.

This technology is implemented in several apps that are developed for smartphones. The gathered data is not available openly, and the app-approach makes the setup not really future-proof. The aim of the GammaSense pilot is to develop an emergency-infrastructure that can be deployed within minutes, by activating your (covered) webcam from a webpage.

This project is the third Amsterdam-based pilot of the Making Sense program and is carried out in co-creation with citizens, activists, experts, (local) governments, institutes, hackers and designers. Partners in this project are WISE International and several Dutch municipalities.

The pilot will consist of three workshops in three different cities that are in the vicinity of nuclear installations. As well Bergen op Zoom, Eindhoven and Maastricht, are all cities in the south of Holland that are closely located to Dutch, Belgian and/or German nuclear power plants. The target group for these workshops consists of citizens, hackers, civil servants and experts in the field of radiation that will help co-create the tool and strategy to deploy this infrastructure in the future.

Next to the workshops there is a developer MeetUp organized in Amsterdam, where all sorts of people are invited to help building the measurement platform further.

The pilot version of the tool is available at www.gammasense.org

The post Measure radiation with your webcam appeared first on Making Sense.

The aim of the event was to present the work done in previous pilots, to discuss the objectives of the Making Sense project, and to start to build a community of citizens who want to participate in the third and final pilot.

The event was an authentic celebration of citizen sensing!

There was a photo exhibition illustrating the key activities performed during the previous pilots; a real-time installation built by one of our community champions – which captured and visualised noise levels in situ at Kubik; and a number of presentations about how citizen participation, open source technology and data can help us to tackle environmental issues.

During the event two collaborative activities allowed us to map noise pollution hot-spots in the Gracia neighbourhood as well as the efforts, skills and time that citizens are willing to contribute to the pilot.

From the collaborative mapping task we identified that the Plaça del Sol is perceived as seriously affected by noise pollution.

A group of residents of the Plaça explained how this affected their everyday lives, while other participants committed to supporting this cause even when they didn’t live in the area or were not directly affected by it.

After the event at Kubik we all walked towards the Plaça del Sol where we deployed the ‘Noisebox’, an interactive installation that was fabricated by the community champions who took part in the first pilot.

The device comprises a wooden box equipped with a Smart Citizen Kit to which was a 5 meter long LED strip has been attached. Participants can press a button on the box to trigger the noise sensor.

The measured data is then represented through the LED strip. Around the installation, we created a conversational space, which included different stencils and gigantic pieces of chalk (also fabricated by the community champions) as incentives to people to write and share their views on the sounds and noises that they like and don’t like in the Plaça.

The deployment of the Noisebox attracted hundreds of people who were curious to find out more and experience the installation. Many provided data and comments that will help us to inform the pilot and moreover signed up to be involved.

We thank all the event attendees and residents of the Plaça del Sol for their invaluable enthusiasm.

We are looking forward to co-creating an impactful third pilot to make Barcelona a better place for all.

The post Making Sense of Noise Pollution in Plaça del Sol appeared first on Making Sense.

When the first Amsterdam-based pilot started, it was soon decided that this was going to be about air quality. There was some great experience at the Waag Society on the topic, combined with a community in the city centre that had air quality on the top of their agenda. So the challenge was to develop an air quality sensor that was able to answer the urgent questions from citizens in the community.

Starting point

The starting point of the development of the sensor were the citizens’ concerns. It was loud and clear that it should be able to measure air quality on a high level of reliability. The yearly averages were already measured by environmental organizations like Milieudefensie and official measurement parties like GGD Amsterdam were already measuring at some points in the city. What we needed was a sensor kit that could point out the difference from street to street, door-to-door and even difference between ground floor values and the air quality on a balcony on the sixth floor.

The sensor kit

From previous experiences in our Amsterdam Smart Citizens Lab, we had some good insights in what kind of hardware was needed to develop a good working kit. During this previous project, a specialized air quality team tested the Alpha Sense as being the most reliable low-cost NO² sensor on the market. Another useful insight we got from Public Lab, which is a great inspiration for much of our work. They experimented with a sensor that measures PM (particulate matter) on a very reasonable level. So these parts were chosen to be the base of the sensor kit. To be able to calibrate the measurements we added a humidity and a temperature sensor. Building further upon the work of Dave Gönner (who was the main hard- and software developer of the kit), hardware expert Emma Pareschi was responsible for the technical supervision and final adaptation.

Production in a Fablab

Normally a Fablab is designed to experiment, test and create prototypes. For this kit we needed a production on a scale that was pushing the limits of our Fablab. Although there was no other option, production on this scale doesn’t really belong in a Fablab. Since you normally don’t produce sixteen prototypes, but only a few. So the production put the Fablab to a test, which eventually was fulfilled in time, but could have been done more efficient in another place of production.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi, at this moment, is the most reliable form of wireless connection for non-portable systems. This is why a Wi-Fi module was added to the sensor kit. Although this added some challenges to installing and connectivity. Since the sensor was supposed to work outdoors, we often worked on the limit of the reach of the wireless systems of the users. These flaws in connectivity often created some frustration with the users of the kit. Frustration that was sometimes easily cured, by plugging the sensor out and back in again.

Sometimes the wireless modem from the participant was hard to connect to the sensor, where in some cases people connected their sensor to a friendly neighbour’s network. A full time Wi-Fi connection also means a lot of power consumption. That is why we needed to feed the sensor kit with electricity from the power grid, a portable stand-alone option wasn’t possible. This was also taken into account during the placement of the kits.

Calibration & interpretation

To be able to calibrate the sensors, great assistance was found in official air quality measurements parties like GGD Amsterdam. With their high experience in air quality measurements, we were able to combine their official stations with our sensors and calibrate our kit. Another great partner was found in KNMI who helped to calibrate and interpret the complex data coming out of the sensors. With the help of this interpretation participants were able to see real time values of their sensor online. Answering the citizen’s questions will also be done with great help of KNMI.

Future

Of course we hope to develop the kit further. If not done by ourselves, everyone can build upon the existing knowledge. This kit is a modular solution, with open source hardware and software all documented onGithub.

In our near future we will experiment with the new LoRaWan technology in our projects. For a better wireless connection than Wi-Fi, the LoRaWan network could be a huge step forward. It would enable easy wireless and mobile measurements that could greatly attribute to answering citizens questions on the topic of air quality. To summarize, this air quality sensor kit is not the final result, it is the beginning of something bigger and better!

The sensor kit is developed together with many partners including: RIVM, Universiteit Wageningen, Alterra, GGD Amsterdam, KNMI, Public Lab, and many more.

The post Making sense of making a sensor appeared first on Making Sense.

The Digital Bootcamp invites for all young activists concerned with environmental pollution to apply for the Bootcamp, which will take place between 28-30 October 2016 in Prishtina, Kosovo.

The Digital Bootcamp aims to develop competences and skills, and build capacities of 30-35 young activists (between 16-27 years) to take an active role in “Making Sense EU” project through variety of actions: air pollution monitoring, data collection and visualization, evidence-based advocacy campaigning, and non-formal environmental education. The Digital Bootcamp is based on blended learning, combining theoretical and practical learning. The training workshop is based on principles of non-formal education, being learner-centred and highly participatory.

The selected participants for the Bootcamp will join the Movement and will be part of the Committees, responsible for the project actions and activities. Furthermore, the selected participants will also design the first campaign which will be implemented around November, 2016.

Find the draft Programme of the Digital Bootcamp here : http://bit.ly/2e8pibQ
DEADLINE: 20 October 2016, midnight.

Participation is FREE and all the expenses will be covered by the organizers.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION HERE http://bit.ly/APPLYforBootcamp

Find more information about Science for Change Kosovo Movement: www.citizenscienceks.org
Find more information about Peer Educators Network: http://www.ngo-pen.org/

More information concerning the programme and different elements of the training workshop, please contact us at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sfckmovement
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sfckmovement
Email:citizenscienceks@gmail.com

The post CALL FOR ENTRIES: Digital Bootcamp in Kosovo appeared first on Making Sense.

According to World Bank’s Report (2012) :

“Air pollution in Kosovo causes 835 premature deaths, 310 new cases of chronic bronchitis, 600 hospital admissions and 11,610 emergency visits each year”.

This is where Science for Change Kosovo comes in, a radical youth-led environmental movement, investigating air pollution in Kosovo and mobilizing people to take actions.

For over two weeks in August, the Science for Change Kosovo Movement, in close collaboration with the NGO PEN – Peer Educators Network, have been conducting intensive measurements on air pollution in all municipalities across Kosovo. This is the first phase of the measurements, as part of the, EU funded, Making Sense project.

“What we do has to be locally impactful,” says Josh Harvey, a lead at UNICEF’s Kosovo Innovation Lab. “We want to make sure that [local youth] own the project and steer it,” Harvey continued. In fact, while the Innovation Lab will provide support and training, young people set the agenda; and young people in Kosovo want to see a cleaner environment.

In absence of official data on air pollution in Kosovo, which surprisingly is not published by government institutions, the activists are doing fantastic field-work on collecting large numbers of data on air pollution – particularly on PM2.5 (fine-particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 microns or less). The fine-particulates are among the most dangerous pollutants causing a variety of health problems, including lung cancer and other respiratory disease. The measurements are being conducted twice per day, in the morning and in afternoon, in order to ensure enough data and evidences that will help them to come up with scientifically correct conclusions.

In September, the participants will conclude the measurements of the first phase and the team will start to analyze the data collected, as well as identify pollution ‘hotspots‘ across Kosovo. The ‘hotspots‘, along with the other indoor environment of different public spaces, will be monitored closely and for longer-term in order to ensure scientifically credible data. All the data collected will be discussed with activists in a general assembly, and jointly the participants will make decisions about direct actions for the following months. Moreover the data will be visualized and published in the Science for Change platform.

http://www.citizenscienceks.org/

We all have the right to be informed about the quality of the air we breathe. Let’s stop the silence of the institutions. If you’d like to join our movement and our campaigns, please write us on Facebook and/or Twitter.

The post Youth and Science for Change in Kosovo appeared first on Making Sense.

But who defines what those ‘problems’ are anyway? And who designs the solutions? What happens to the data collected? These are questions that we ponder in our quest to design solutions for modern urban problems.

Earlier this year, we started a pilot programme within the EU programme, Making Sense, which placed citizens in a position to measure the air quality in their own backyards, streets, and neighbourhoods. In collaboration with GGD Amsterdam, the KNMI, the Long Fonds, Wageningen University, and ECN Netherlands, we rolled out a programme in which citizens cooperate with experts and worked together for several months while learning how to measure their environments with low-cost technologies. With the help of expertise and the (available) official measuring stations, inexpensive sensors could be calibrated to produce reliable data.

The beginning
Thanks to a targeted recruitment campaign in and around the Valkenburgerstraat & Weesperstraat (the two most polluted streets in Amsterdam), an enthusiastic yet worried group of around 25 residents gathered in the Waag. During these evenings, participants were introduced to experts in the field of air quality and the available technologies for measurement. During those early meetings, plans of attack were forged—by the residents themselves. They decided what they wanted to measure and why. And the questions they asked were quite diverse. One resident wanted to know how his street fared when compared to the high street’s pollution levels. Another was more interested in the difference between air quality in the back garden versus the front stoop. From that starting point, 16 sensors were distributed among the participants.

The sensors
The hardware we use for the project is an air quality sensor built upon some previous designs. Hardware from a previous pilot in 2014, the Smart Citizen Kit, did not yield the data that participants expected yet. Another sensor, developed in close collaboration with Wageningen University and RIVM during last years’s edition of the Amsterdam Smart Citizen Lab was a good starting point. This base was reproduced, adapted, and updated with some better sensors (e.g. the NO2 sensor). The sensors were connected to the participants’ Wi-Fi networks and now measure: NO2, particulate matter, humidity, and temperature. The live data from the participants’ devices can be seen here.

The participants
Many participants take part in the programme out of concern for the quality of life in their city. The simple fact that they can measure the quality of their day-to-day environment is often enough to awaken their enthusiasm.

So this is also a group of local residents who, outside of this project, are often active concerning the liveability of their city and neighbourhood. An example is Jet Willers. She is worried about the pollution from taxis circulating through her relatively quiet street to pick up customers from the Red Light District and Nieuwmarkt at night.

Another example is Ria Teeffelen. She would like to know whether or not it’s safe to sit outside the front of her house. For comparison, she has hung a sensor both on her front stoop and in the back of her house—where she has a lovely courtyard. With this data and new information, she can now make an informed choice about where to sip her coffee.

Where are we now?
The sensors were hung in mid-June and they will stay up until midway through August. So, we’re currently halfway through the measurement period. Interestingly, the IJ Tunnel will close at the end of this week. This may make for some noteworthy differences—especially in and around the Valkenburgerstraat, which opens directly onto the tunnel. The participants currently have the ability to access their realtime data via a simple web application. However, it should be mentioned that this is still an experimental technology, so we can’t draw any major conclusions just yet.

What’s next?
We will continue measurements over the coming months. Once the test period is over, the data will be analysed with the help of the KNMI. Hopefully, this analysis will provide some conclusions and help answer some of the participants’ questions. The whole process is, in any event, a nice experiment to see what sort of data quality can be obtained from these low-cost sensors and how we can connect experts with residents to identify problems and improve quality of life.

Ultimately, this experiment will contribute to our goal of “open technology”. So the project was designed and structured with this goal in mind. Thus, through this project, we become a little bit more like the bosses of our own city.

The post Urban AirQ: <br/> citizens measuring air quality themselves appeared first on Making Sense.