|
|
 |
All Day Wednesday, June
6, 2011 (8am - 5pm)
"An Introduction to Emerging
Technologies for Environmental Data Monitoring: Loggers to Sensors
Networks to the Cloud"
Instructors:
Francesco Peri, Michael Pollard, & Robert
Stevenson (About our
instructors)
Course Overview
Automation of environmental monitoring tasks can reduce the need for
people to be on site and increase the quality of data in support of
site assessment, research objectives or policy decisions. Recent
advances in ground based and remote sensors; data gathering,
sharing, and integration; and modeling schemes that have been
deployed in weather forecasting are now being applied to a wider
range of environmental monitoring tasks in air, water, soil from
local to regional scales. Reductions in costs of sensors and
instrument packages and the ubiquity of internet services are
facilitating these advancements. However, the breadth of technology
available often seems daunting. This short-course is designed to
introduce emerging environmental monitoring technologies to academic
researchers, consultants/industry, and governmental employees. We
will provide specific examples of environmental monitoring systems
to illustrate general design challenges. An analyses framework will
be presented to help students judge which, if any, of these
technologies are appropriate for the specific monitoring programs
they want to implement. Students and presenters will undertake
design charrettes to further illustrate system design options.
Students will work with homegrown and commercial systems on site to
gain concrete experience.
|
Course Objectives
1) Provide an
overview of new technologies, both hardware and software, used
for the collection and storage of environmental data.
2) Introduce the technical language, sensors, power
requirements, transmission options, packaging issues, and cost
considerations that underlie the designs of these systems.
3) Gain experience applying an analysis framework to decide if
these new monitoring technologies might be of benefit to your
monitoring studies.
4) Compare current offerings from some
of the leading vendors and describe trends in component and
systems development.
5) Give students hands on experience
with home grown and commercial monitoring systems.
Target Audience
Biologists,
ecologists, chemists, environmental scientists, site managers,
regulators, and advanced undergraduate & graduate students. |
|
|
|
MA LSP approved for 8
credits (LSP course # 1445)
CT LEP credit pending
|
|
Course Schedule & Agenda
- 8:00 am -9:45 am
- Defining the
monitoring challenge - Analysis Framework
- What are the necessary
sensor signals to address the monitoring goals?
- How fast does the
signal change/what resolution is required?
Considerations for sampling frequency
- Types of field
deployments (emphasis on aquatic but will mention
air sampling as well)
- Hand-held
instruments
- Land or
platform-based fixed installations
- Subsurface
installation
- Review of current
literature
- Project
considerations: time, logistics, data quality needs,
$$$
- Sensors
- What is out there that
satisfies my signal requirements?
- Sensor types and
sensor characterization
- Types of data
generated by an environmental sensor (i.e., form of
the observation – electrical signal (analog or
digital)
- Special conditions
- Selecting the Appropriate
Technology for my problem
- Aligning technology
with the environmental question
- Monitor endpoints
- Accuracy
- Number of
functions
- Physical capabilities
of technology -What is Power?
- Instrument - warm
up, sample interval
- Logging
- Telemetry
- Duty cycle
- Source - solar,
wind, water, line
- Storage –
batteries, power density, how long will it run
without charging?
- Managing cycles -
optimizing low power sampling and high power
transmission
- Field Deployment
Considerations: Location and Packaging
- Environment - harsh
environments, hazardous conditions, and vandals
- Enclosures and ratings
- Fittings
- Wires
- Functional Mounting,
durability, safety
- Lightning
- 9:45 am -10:00 am Morning Break
- 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
- Logging and Telemetry
How to
get data from the instrument to the lab/office:
- Paper output- still used (
UMB freezer failure story)
- Hardwire data transmission
in field situations - RS-232, RS-422 or RS-485
- Hardwire downloads of data
from instruments to computer
- 6 to 8 Telemetering systems:
data rates, power, costs
- Data Handling
- Onboard data processing –
averaging (intervals keyed to variability in the
parameter of interest
- Output forms of and
management of data from sensors: analog or digital
meters, storage options for data (types – advantages
and shortcomings)
- Preprocessing of data -
Error checking algorithms – what they can do,
utility, real-time feedback possibilities
- Post Processing - Endpoint
calibration
- Models - Getting more out of the
data
- Power Monitoring
- Sensor Functioning
- Range check variables for
alerts
- Integration with other data
- Forecasting
- Data Management Plans - An
Introduction
- 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch Break
- 1:00 pm - 2:45 pm
-
Systems Discussions – Case Studies and Field Demos of
Monitoring Systems
Case studies
-
Air: H2S air monitoring around landfills, ambient
air monitoring and data telemetering at Logan
Airport, Boston;
-
Water: fish tracking, coastal environmental sensor
networks; wave or current meter installations,
subsurface deployments
- 2:45 pm
Afternoon Break
- 3:00 pm
- On
Site Field Demonstrations
-
Home grown systems – Tide gauge, RFID - animal
activity, Swan package - Water physicals and
chemistry
-
Commercial vendors
- Wrap
Up
-
Question and answer
-
Course evaluations
- 5:00 pm Adjourn
|
|
About
CESN
The Center for Coastal
Environmental Sensor Networks brings together University researchers,
Massachusetts business and industry leaders, and state and federal
decision-makers, to provide an integrated framework for developing environmental
sensor networks, especially in coastal areas. This research center allows
partners to 1) develop and test new environmental sensors and transfer them to
commercial markets, 2) develop "smart" sensor networks for observing complex
interactions of coastal systems including "hotspots and hot moments", 3) develop
discrete and agent-based models to rapidly analyze and visualize complex and
non-continuous data streams, and 4) support environmental decision-making
processes. CESN is unique in its development of integrated land-water sensor
networks, thus crossing the land-water interface, in focusing on "smart"
networks, networks that are not simply automated, but can also "shift attention"
to objects and events of interest, and in applying networks to urban
environments. A diverse set of applications range from ecological to military to
recreational.
|
SHORT COURSE REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Pre-Registration
(by 5/01/12) |
Full
Registration
(after 5/01/12) |
Type |
| DATA ACQUISITION SHORT
COURSE (Wednesday, June 6, 2012) |
| $50.00 |
$90.00 |
Student (day attendee)
|
| $200.00 |
$250.00 |
NACSETAC members / Government
employees |
| $250.00 |
$300.00 |
Non-members |
|
4/01/2012 deadline
- full meeting student
package ($175.00) |
|
|
MEETING REGISTRATION FORM |
|
BACK TO ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION |
|
