Sensor JournalismLeveraging inexpensive computers, sensors and open source

code to crowdsource community data.

How I heard about it

• Online News Association conference• WNYC public radio• Deployed sensors under chairs in auditorium

The sensors

Body heat

SoundMore talking over here?

CellularMore texting over here?

A growing movement• Air Quality Egg, part of a community-led

sensing network.

Newhouse egg: http://airqualityegg.com/egg/692384327

Citizen Sensor

http://thesis.jmsaavedra.com/

Cicada tracker

• WNYC posted instructions to build $80 cicada sensors.

• Everything could be ordered online through Radio Shack.

• Tracked when ground would be at 64 degrees.

• 1,500 participated.

http://datanews.tumblr.com/

2008 Beijing Olympics• AP deployed air quality sensors around

Beijing. Real-time tracking of air.

Other projects

• Sun Sentinel: sensors on tollgates registered times and radio frequencies emitted by tags on cars driven by police passing through known locations — from which the journalists derived identities, their speeds and concluded they were breaking the law.

Other projects

• The Washington Post’s ShotSpotter: sensed gunshots via sound using air pressure sensors.

• Converted into digital signals, pattern-matched by computersto produce records of the gunshot locations throughout Washington, D.C.

Other projects

• The Houston Chronicle: monitored air quality in neighborhoods bordering factories that regularly emit toxic smoke.

• Public Lab: citizen group that recorded oil levels from Deepwater Horizon spill.

• USA Today “Ghost Factories” : tested soil for contamination at 800 abandoned factories.

Cooking Class monologue

• Demonstration of an Arduino Uno, and configuring and programming it to do a simple light show - Arduino is plugged into the laptop, code is already written, push a button on laptop to transfer program, Arduino blinks to indicate code is ready, then can do "christmas lights" - can change a number in Sketch to have the light show alter - good idea to have some close ups of the Arduino's lights from above

“Swarmageddon”

http://vimeo.com/62969733

Popular platform: Arduino Uno.• Driving cost down with DIY kits.

To learn more

Low cost

Cost: $29 for the Uno (the computer), $35 Sidekick Basic Kit (wires and sensors).

Sensor Shields

Light levels“Weather”Pressure, humidity,

temp

http://sparkfun.com

The next frontier: YOU

• Sensing YOU with YOUR permission.• Apple Watch, Android Wear, Fitbit, Galaxy

Gear, others.• Privacy? Security of personal data? Big future

issues.

Activity

• Read through some of the case studies from Tow Center for Digital Journalism report on sensor journalism.

• Go to Sparkfun.com• Find some sensors.• Come up with a concept for a sensor array

that could tell a story in an interesting way.