The Citizen Observatory: Enabling Next Generation Citizen Science

Background: Citizen science offers an attractive paradigm for addressing some of the complex problems facing society. However, translating the paradigm\u27s potential into meaningful action and sustainable impact remains a formidable challenge. Historically, the citizen science landscape was fractured into silos of activities; nonetheless, it has demonstrably delivered credible results. An innovative concept of the Citizen Observatory offers a tractable means of mitigating many of the recurring issues that historically afflicted citizen science initiatives, thus empowering a new generation of citizen scientists. Citizen Observatories may be regarded as open, standardised software platforms for community-based monitoring of any phenomenon of interest. Objectives: This paper seeks to validate a Citizen Observatory in a traditional citizen science context, that of butterfly recording. Methods/Approach: A case study was undertaken in a UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserve. Results: A community of citizen scientists successfully recorded various observations concerning butterflies, their feeding behaviours, and their habitat. The resultant dataset was made available to the local government environmental agency. Conclusions: The Citizen Observatory model offers a realistic basis for enabling more sustainable participatory science activities. Such developments have implications for non-government organisations, businesses, and local governments

Defining requirements for an Augmented Reality system to overcome the challenges of creating and using design representations in co-design sessions

Within co-design sessions involving designers and non-designers, the type and characteristics of the design representations employed is known to impact the performance of such sessions in terms of idea generation, idea evaluation and communication. This study captures the challenges practitioners face in creating and using design representations for co-design sessions and goes on to investigate the potential of Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) to overcome those challenges. The advantages of SAR in this application are that, multiple concepts can be represented using one physical model, concepts can be modified live during the session, and additional equipment (such as head mounted displays or handheld devices) is not required, thus eliminating any possible interference with the natural interactions between participants. Interviews with design practitioners and trials with a prototype SAR system are used to identify the key challenges faced by practitioners in their current use of design representations, and to capture the technology requirements for a SAR sys- tem for use in co-design sessions. These fi ndings can inform the work of technology developers and researchers working on systems to support co-design sessions

Developing a productivity accelerator platform to support UK businesses in the industry 4.0 revolution

The growing Internet of Things (IoT), the increasing use of sensor technology and the digitisation of traditionally isolated analogue devices are transforming manufacturing and private dwellings in the UK. This ongoing revolution is often referred to as Industry 4.0, where real-time data informs the product value chain and digital applications are used for automating service allocation. Within this emerging environment, good practice is essential for productivity. Yet, the access to good practice guides and information is a challenge. Consequently, in this paper, the Productivity Accelerator (ProAccel) platform design is proposed. The system is a modular cloud-based multimedia platform that has the goal of helping UK businesses improve their productivity. ProAccel employs advanced machine learning and gamification techniques to revolutionise the way productivity information is shared

Training the next generation of psychotraumatologists: COllaborative Network for Training and EXcellence in psychoTraumatology (CONTEXT)

In this paper we present a description of the Horizon2020, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action funded, research and training programme CONTEXT: COllaborative Network for Training and EXcellence in psychoTraumatology. The three objectives of the programme are put forward, each of which refers to a key component of the CONTEXT programme. First, we summarize the 12 individual research projects that will take place across three priority populations: (i) refugees and asylum seekers, (ii) first responders, and (iii) perpetrators and survivors of childhood and gender-based violence. Second, we detail the mentoring and training programme central to CONTEXT. Finally, we describe how the research, together with the training, will contribute towards better policy, guidelines, and practice within the field of psychotraumatology