Sensor journalism leverages inexpensive computers, sensors and open source code to crowdsource community data collection. Examples discussed include deploying sensors under chairs at a conference to track body heat and sound, tracking cicada emergence with $80 DIY sensors built by 1,500 participants, and monitoring air quality around factories and during the 2008 Beijing Olympics with sensor networks. Popular platforms like Arduino Uno make sensor journalism more accessible with kits starting at $29 for the computer and $35 for basic sensors and wires. The next frontier is sensing people with their permission using devices like smartwatches.

1. Sensor Journalism
Leveraging inexpensive computers, sensors and open source
code to crowdsource community data.

2. How I heard about it
• Online News Association conference
• WNYC public radio
• Deployed sensors under chairs in auditorium

3. The sensors

4. Body heat

5. Sound
More talking
over here?

6. Cellular
More texting
over here?

7. A growing movement
• Air Quality Egg, part of a community-led
sensing network.
Newhouse egg: http://airqualityegg.com/egg/692384327

8. Citizen Sensor
http://thesis.jmsaavedra.com/

9. 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.

11. http://datanews.tumblr.com/

12. 2008 Beijing Olympics
• AP deployed air quality sensors around
Beijing. Real-time tracking of air.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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

17. “Swarmageddon”
http://vimeo.com/62969733

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

19. To learn more

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

21. Sensor Shields
Light levels“Weather”
Pressure, humidity,
temp
http://sparkfun.com

22. 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.

23. 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.