COBWEBCOBWEB technology platform and future

development needs,

ISPRA,27th Jan, 2016

Chris Higginschris.higgins@ed.ac.uk

Sta

Introduction to COBWEB

• Research Project: Funded under the European Commission’s Framework Programme 7

• SME Targeted Collaborative project• Required to work within GEOSS framework• Started Nov 2012, ends Oct 31st 2016 (4 years)• Why?

– GPS enabled, internet connected mobile devices now ubiquitous

– Lots of potential, eg, can citizen sourced environmental data be useful for decision making?

Citizen Observatory Web

• Generic crowdsourcing infrastructure– A toolkit which can be downloaded and used

in multiple scenarios• Data which supports policy• Address data quality issues• Open standards

Project Partners

UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves

Sites of excellence to foster harmonious integration of people and nature for sustainable development through participation, knowledge sharing, poverty reduction and human well-being improvements, cultural values and society's ability to cope with change, thus contributing to the Millennium Development Goals

COBWEB Biosphere Reserves

Biosffer Dyfi Biosphere

Mount OlympusGorge of Samaria

Wadden See & Hallig islands

COBWEB is not a collection of Apps…

A number of demonstrator mobile phone applications

– Exactly what, deliberately left open and subject to discussion with community

3 pilot case study areas:1. Validating earth

observation products2. Biological monitoring3. Flooding

Co-design

COBWEB Framework

Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)

TRL Definition1 basic principles observed2 technology concept formulated3 experimental proof of concept4 technology validated in lab5 technology validated in relevant environment (industrially

relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)6 technology demonstrated in relevant environment (industrially

relevant environment in the case of key enabling technologies)7 system prototype demonstration in operational environment8 system complete and qualified9 actual system proven in operational environment (competitive

manufacturing in the case of key enabling technologies; or in space)

Key components at different TRL’s

• QA workflow editor• QA WPS/services• Conflation• Sensor networks• GeoNetwork/Portal• Middleware• Authoring tool/Survey designer• Apps• User management and privacy• Access control• Authentication

View COBWEB Portal

COBWEB Framework

The COBWEB version of GeoNetwork

• Open source implementation of the OGC Catalogue Services for the Web

• Input and storage schemas:– ISO19139, ISO199115-1

• Alternative output schemas available:– Dublin core– SensorML– DCAT– PPSR_CORE

• Supports registration of ‘surveys’ or ‘citizen science projects’

• ACTION: CH to put group in touch with GeoCat

Customise your own app for your survey

Customise your own app for your survey

Customise your own app for your survey

Citizen captures data on their phone

COBWEB Framework

Classifying quality: Seven pillarsPillar Example Test NotesPillar 1 – Location Based services

Assessment of spatial accuracy – estimate from a mobile device and number of satellites

Tests often carried out on the mobile device

Pillar 2 – Cleaning Removal of junk data via an attribute text check

Very lightweight, can flag or remove malicious entries

Pillar 3 – Automatic validation

Analysis whether an image is blurry

Higher level testing, often used to assess ranges

Pillar 4 – Comparison with authoritative data

Use of a set of boundary polygons to check whether an observation is in or out

Wide variety of tests that involve comparison with what it known

Pillar 5 – Model based validation

Running a flood model Can be complex, and may also include question based modeling

Pillar 6 – Big/Linked data Querying Twitter via a hashtag for similar phenomena

Tapping into large databases such as sensor records and social media

Pillar 7 – Semantic harmonisation

Rationalisation of entries via an ontology

Attempts to recognise multiple entries of the same observation

Quality process web editor

COBWEB Framework

Conflation

• Combination of spatial data from multiple sources to produce a combined view that contains the most valuable data from the inputs

• Used in Quality Assurance • Used for data enrichment, eg, from sensors• OGC Web Processing Service interface used

SWE4CS

PublishingData

SWE4CS – Why bother?

• If a significant amount of Cit Sci data can be published to this standard

• It becomes more useful; its immediately understood by people who understand the standard

• The same tooling can be used and reused• Integration costs decrease

Sustainability

• Intending to open source as many of the COBWEB components as possible

• OSGeo one option and looking at the incubation process

• SME’s leading this aspect of COBWEB

Synchronising #1 – ‘Hackathon’ @ ECSA Berlin May

• COBWEB offers to fund• Line up a variety of Cit Sci project developers

who have access to data• Provide materials and assistance to show how

transformation to SWE4CS can be done• Use to show how easy it is and the benefits that

come with interoperability

Synchronising #2 – OGC-ICA-AGILE workshop June

• Association GI Laboratories Europe (AGILE) pre-conference workshop 14th June

• The Role of Geospatial Standards for Sustainable Development

• Emphasis on the use of these standards for leveraging volunteered geographic information and enabling community observatories

• Debate: 'Are OGC and related standards fit for purpose in a fast changing technological society?‘

• Identify major research questions for maximising the value of open geospatial interoperability standards in support of the Sustainable Development Goals

Synchronising #3 – Activity at Dublin TC in June

• OGC Technical Committee meeting 20-24 June• Paid for by COBWEB• Will have an OGC Best Practice paper ready for

publication:– SWE4CS– Metadata profile for Citizen Science

• How can we make best use of this week?