SensorSpace: A Cutting-edge Facility for Environmental Sensor Design, Production, and Deployment for Research and Education at Flathead Lake Biological Station

SensorSpace：弗拉特黑德湖生物站研究和教育环境传感器设计、生产和部署的尖端设施

• 批准号: 1624837
• 负责人: James Elser
• 金额: $ 41.31万
• 依托单位: University of Montana
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-07-15 至 2019-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1624837&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SensorSpace; Cutting; edge; Facility; Environmental

Environmental scientists need access to sensitive and affordable environmental sensors in order study dynamic environments in lakes, streams, forests, grasslands, and other habitats. In the past, scientists have needed to rely on expensive commercial instruments or to settle for lower-quality sensors that they fabricate themselves. However, in recent years a "maker movement" has transformed access to sophisticated design and fabrication capabilities, leading to innovation in a variety of sectors. This grant will fund the creation of a ?maker space? for sensors at the University of Montana's Flathead Lake Biological Station that will serve as a regional and indeed national resource for environmental scientists and engineers to use to develop, fabricate, and test sophisticated instruments for their research and monitoring projects. The FLBS "Sensor Space" will also be a resource for members of the local and regional community (including tribal members) to use, empowering "citizen science" and inspiring students at various levels (K-12, college) to continue studies in science and engineering fields.This grant will fund the creation of a sophisticated "maker space" for environmental sensor design, fabrication, and testing at the Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) of the University of Montana, a world-renowned research and education center whose mission focus is limnology, the study of inland waters (http://flbs.umt.edu/). The proposed facility, which we call the "FLBS SensorSpace", will advance a variety of cutting-edge research areas, such as: novel networked sensors for high-resolution physiochemical monitoring; eDNA detection with automated in situ genomic analyzers; stream turbulence and bedload monitoring with acoustic profilers; single-cell genomics with microfluidic devices; high resolution ground-truthing of passive optical sensors; and in situ stream metabolism assessment from continuous physical-chemical profiling, to name a few. Four core technology zones will define the proposed FLBS SensorSpace: Manufacturing, Optics, Microfluidics, and Embedded Systems. In addition to these four core capacities, the facility will include a meeting space where researchers can work/teach/collaborate in a flexible manner, a computer terminal bench, a teaching/reading area, and a technology showcase display. This facility will advance ongoing and anticipated research at FLBS and help make the station a regional magnet for scientists and students interested in developing and field-testing customized sensor systems suited to their needs, ranging from the most basic to the most advanced capabilities currently available. The SensorSpace will also advance education, public appreciation of science, and commercial applications. This will occur via integration of the SensorSpace into the curricula of our summer course offerings and development of a new course, "Environmental Sensor Design and Production"; via collaboration with Salish Kootenai College; via programs for high school students; via efforts to establish a freestanding Citizen Science program at FLBS; and via use of the SensorSpace to attract environmental scientists, students, entrepreneurs, and businesses interested in developing sensors and other instrumentation as part of their research and development portfolio, leading to economic benefits and intellectual property.

环境科学家需要使用灵敏且价格实惠的环境传感器来研究湖泊、溪流、森林、草原和其他栖息地的动态环境。 过去，科学家们需要依赖昂贵的商业仪器或满足于他们自己制造的低质量传感器。 然而，近年来，“创客运动”改变了复杂设计和制造能力的获取方式，导致了各个领域的创新。 这笔赠款将资助创建“创客空间”蒙大拿大学弗拉特黑德湖生物站的传感器将作为环境科学家和工程师的区域乃至国家资源，用于开发、制造和测试用于其研究和监测项目的复杂仪器。 FLBS“传感器空间”还将成为当地和区域社区成员（包括部落成员）使用的资源，赋予“公民科学”权力并激励各个级别（K-12、大学）的学生继续进行科学学习这笔赠款将资助蒙大拿大学弗拉特黑德湖生物站 (FLBS) 创建一个复杂的“创客空间”，用于环境传感器的设计、制造和测试，该站是世界著名的研究和教育中心，其任务重点是湖泊学，内陆水域研究 (http://flbs.umt.edu/)。 拟议的设施，我们称之为“FLBS SensorSpace”，将推进各种前沿研究领域，例如：用于高分辨率理化监测的新型网络传感器；使用自动原位基因组分析仪进行 eDNA 检测；使用声学剖面仪监测水流湍流和床载；使用微流体装置进行单细胞基因组学；无源光学传感器的高分辨率地面实况；以及通过连续物理化学分析进行原位流代谢评估等等。 四个核心技术领域将定义拟议的 FLBS SensorSpace：制造、光学、微流体和嵌入式系统。除了这四项核心功能外，该设施还将包括一个会议空间，研究人员可以以灵活的方式工作/教学/协作，一个计算机终端工作台，一个教学/阅读区和一个技术展示区。该设施将推进 FLBS 正在进行的和预期的研究，并帮助该站成为区域磁石，吸引有兴趣开发和现场测试适合其需求的定制传感器系统的科学家和学生，从目前可用的最基本到最先进的功能。 SensorSpace 还将促进教育、公众对科学的欣赏和商业应用。 这将通过将 SensorSpace 整合到我们的夏季课程中并开发新课程“环境传感器设计和生产”来实现；通过与萨利什库特奈学院合作；通过高中生项目；通过努力在 FLBS 建立独立的公民科学项目；通过使用 SensorSpace 来吸引有兴趣开发传感器和其他仪器作为其研发组合一部分的环境科学家、学生、企业家和企业，从而带来经济效益和知识产权。