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MS:HomeFrom SwissExperimentHome
Collaboration GoalThe main goal of the collaboration between MSR and the Swiss Experiment (SE) project is to explore and enable the use of recent developments in the MSR SensorMap project to enhance the capabilities of the SwissEx infrastructure and to validate the appropriateness of the MSR tools in a major e-science context to respond to concrete requirements of environmental scientists in the type of large-scale, collaborative experimental approach taken by the SwissEx. Furthermore, we will explore selected novel technical challenges that emerge through the use of sensor middleware in the context of e-science specifically in environmental research and engineering in order to enhance the currently employed methods. The project will be driven by requirements and feedback from environmental scientist. Swiss Experiment @ Microsoft Research Microsoft SensorMapMicrosoft SensorMap aims to provide a centralised geospatial sensor query interface for simultaneously querying multiple distributed datasets. The combination of data sources in this way also means that queries as well as advanced processing applications built on top of this structure can benefit from access to a wider range of sources at various spatial and temporal resolutions. This combination of sensor networks and sensor types allows a true interdisciplinary data interface. SensorMap supports a range of functionalities from configuring sensor nodes through a gateway (MSRSense), a geo-spatial database for managing sensor metadata (GeoDB), a tool for retrieving and visualizing sensor real-time data and metadata (Aggregator), and a visual interface. GeoDB, Aggregator and the visual interface are functionalities that are currently not available in this form to the SwissEx, but which respond to needs that environmental scientists have clearly expressed during the planning of the SwissEx. An important aspect of SensorMap is the use and development of ontologies and standardization, which is considered highly important by the environmental scientists especially for the description of instruments and data. The following interface is an iFrame showing the sensors available in the SensorMap interface (based on the user's current permissions). Clicking on the SensorMap icon in the corner will take the user to page containing the full SensorMap capability. An unofficial user guide for SensorMap is available here (work in progress) WorkplanThe envisaged new kind of e-science-tool support for environmental engineering must be based on the capability to integrate data and services from heterogeneous sources based on an understanding of the specific requirements and models used by environmental research. In particular it will be necessary to provide and process metadata that captures data provenance and quality so that data can be shared and integrated across experiments and research groups with a sufficient level of background knowledge and trust. Therefore the project will be structured in two main areas:
NewsAn update on the project is presented at the second Microsoft Science All Hand Meeting at MSR Redmond on March 5-6, 2008. The presentation can be downloaded here.
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