CI-TEAM

Summary of CI-TEAM Project

Aim: demonstrate how to empower local governments, policy-makers, students and K-12 teachers to take advantage of CI in the environmental arena

Scope: Expand the University of North Texas (UNT) real-time environmental tracking ECOPLEX web site into the Texas Environmental Observatory (TEO).

Partnerships:

1. City of Denton, Texas,
2. National Weather Service
3. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
4. Lewisville Independent School District.

Educational modules
Centered on innovative CI integration of new technologies for environmental monitoring and modeling

Four learning modules:

• Wireless sensors
• Databases
• Analysis and modeling
• Environmental policy making

This CI-TEAM project, has migrated ECOPLEX's MySQL database to meet more complex data model and transaction requirements. We upgraded the database platform to enterprise-capable database system - PostgreSQL, providing support for data integrity validation, complex rule setting, as well as potential capability of spatial data storage and processing. Meanwhile we have redesigned the data model and the database schema to better reflect the links between the physical sensor deployment and monitored natural phenomena. The more integrated schema also facilitates upper-level web-accessible services and applications that comply with standards such as SensorML and GML.

During implementation, new wireless sensor network testbeds haven been deployed that will eventually scale up to over 400 sensors for data collection across the North Texas area. With robust communication mechanism built into the sensor network, we are now able to automatically receive field data 24/7 through wireless modem and provide live data for both educational and research use.

Four mini-courses design include a wide variety of new topics that cover wireless sensor networks, database design, and data publication. Participants can also benefit from designed hands-on exercises. The course materials will also available online from our website http://www.teo.unt.edu once completed.

This project is supported by NSF. For more detail about this project, please go to the Project Page.