Insight Centre mobile lab as a major boost for citizen science in Galway

Communities to take up challenge of carbon reduction ahead of Open Science Week

Life

1 April 2019

The Insight Centre for Data Analytics has launched a mobile lab at its headquarters in Galway.

Insight has now joined the European Citizen Science Association and demonstrated the capacity of the mobile lab to representatives of Galway City Council, Galway, the business sector, the community sector and the academic sector at the Insight building in Dangan.

The
lab contains multiple sensing devices which record and transmit
environmental data such as temperature, rainfall, wind speed and carbon
related data. This will allow local communities and schools to monitor
local data in the Galway area.

Dr Martin Serrano the Internet of Things unit leader at Insight said: “This [mobile lab] will help us to integrate at a European level through our membership of the European Citizen Science Association and the Open Agile Smart Cities network.”

Niall Ó Brolcháin, a researcher at Insight and former Mayor of Galway said: “This is an example of how we might harness technology as a tool to reduce carbon and facilitate real climate action in the Galway region. Of course we’ll need to do much more than simply measure carbon but the mobile lab will empower our communities to make a real difference.”

The news comes as NUI Galway has announced the hosting of Ireland’s first ‘Open Science Week’ with the aim of showcasing the importance of research and education that is accessible to everyone.

The event will take place from 8–12 April.

Events taking place throughout this innovative initiative will target several elements of Open Science, including Open Data, Open Access, Open Education and Citizen Science.

Throughout Europe, it is estimated that €250 billion is expended annually on publicly funded research.

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