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NASA's Sensor Web

Posted by michael on from the finding-the-martians dept.

ddtstudio writes "PC Mag has a story about the Sensor Web: 'a cutting-edge application of networked sensor technology currently on the fast track at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).' Not only a new way to test tech, but also perhaps a pervasive and inexpensive way to explore remote places such as Antarctica -- or Mars."

7 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Interesting technology by mjmalone · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yet another new development from NASA that could have a huge impact on daily life. If these devices were strategically located worldwide it seems like much more accurate weather pattern predictions could be made. Low cost weather stations that can communicate back to a central node could automatigically predict and track weather patterns around the globe. Maybe one day we will actually be able to rely on the local weather forcasts!

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    Visualize the world of wine
    1. Re:Interesting technology by windows · · Score: 2, Interesting

      This technology isn't as useful in meteorology as it might first seem. Knowing what happens on the ground is only part of the picture.

      At least in severe weather, what's going on above the surface is very important. For example, it's important to know if there's wind shear. This is winds moving in significantly different directions or at different speeds at different levels, which leads to rotation. It's very important to severe storms. And it's also very important to know if there's any inversions, such as the cap. For those who don't know, the cap is a layer of warm stable air aloft. When warm rising air in an updraft hits a strong cap, it tends to stop rising, which kills thunderstorm development. If there's a moderate cap, some storms will break through, and if other ingredients are in place, storms can occur. Since the weaker storms can't break through the cap, the energy is saved for powerful ones. A moderate cap is particularly conducive to severe weather. If there's a weak cap or no cap, then the energy is used up quickly and not saved for the most powerful storms.

      My point in all of this is knowing what's going on in the upper air is critical to forecasting, and this technology simply won't help you there.

  2. They need to be more outspoken by mao+che+minh · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Is it just me, or does NASA tend to drop bomb shells on the public out of the blue? Rarely are NASAs projects made *largely* public during progress, but rather only at fruition.

    NASA might win more more public approval if they loudly proclaimed their endeavours while they worked on them. As it stands, only their failures get much notice.

    1. Re:They need to be more outspoken by Slayk · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Well, I understand how good PR can affect the funding (or lack thereof) of NASA, they are scientists at heart. Scientists tend to have a habit of being very quiet about their work for the most part. Perhaps it comes from the focus on the project, or the desire to avoid exposing an idea that failed in experimentation, but that is the way they are. Personally, I would rather NASA devote their budget to doing the work they currently do, rather than wasting time with pleasing the public.

    2. Re:They need to be more outspoken by toughluck · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You make an excellent point. I would hope that NASA spens their time/budget doing their work instead of pleasing the public. However I also would think that its probably better that they don't try to let the public know about everything they do. I am willing to bet they try so many different angles at a project that a good precentage of the puclic would not agree with (maybe even not understand) all of them. Its easier to make the masses see that you have done something, than it is to make them see why you had todo those 50 other things wrong to get that one thing right.

    3. Re:They need to be more outspoken by segment · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Maybe these bombshells could be to sway the attention away from the past failures they've had, or perhaps to divert attention from some bombshell about to be dropped with that last shuttle crash. It could be NASA is just trying to maintain a favorable disposition with the general public since congress has drastically slashed their budget for the past decade+

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      MoFscker
  3. sensorweb@home anybody? by mpthompson · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is pretty neat stuff. Perhaps NASA could sponsor a type of sensorweb@home project where these pods could be purchased at a fairly low cost by tech geeks around the world and deployed wherever -- like dandelion seeds spread into the wind. If it had an 802.11b transceiver and wasn't too expensive I would be willing to put such a pod on a post in my backyard, record it's location and let it communicate it's data over my wireless network to a central data repository on the Internet. Most pods would tend to be concentrated in populated areas, but surely many would find their ways into remote locations as well.

    If such a sensorweb@home program were successful with 10,000's of pods deployed, a vast quantity of environmental data could be collected on a global scale at a relatively low cost. Such a global network could provide greater context for data captured by planned regional sensor webs or the data could be filtered to create virtual sensor webs for testing hypothesis without the effort and expense of deploying an actual sensor web.

    Do others think that people would participate in such a project that would provide any direct benefit to the participants? Downloading and installing seti@home is one thing, actually purchasing and installing a sensor pod is another.