mobile: the measure of all things
DESCRIPTION
We carry take our mobiles with us wherever we go, we keep them fuelled with energy and, typically, there's no other object we own so sensitive to our surroundings. This makes mobiles ideal for capturing a rich dataset about human activities and the man-made & natural environment. In fact mobiles are far more capable than humans as measurement tools - or sensors. Mobiles are getting more plentiful, being equipped with more sensor hardware, and that hardware is operating at an entirely new level of efficiency. Taken together, this means mobile sensors could become the predominant datasource of the 21st century. At OpenSignal and WeatherSignal we're exploring the ways mobile sensors can be aggregated into sensor networks, by creating engaging apps and communities of contributors. We're applying big data analysis to make sense of the readings collected. We believe the sensors in phones constitute the most powerful scientific apparatus in the world. What experiments would you run?TRANSCRIPT
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Mobile: the Measure of All Things
24 hours of data received from OpenSignal
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Coming to a lecture theatre near you
1. Mobile sensors beat Human
sensors
2. Mobile sensors are getting
better.*
3. Mobile measures more than you
think.
*humans aren’t.
OpenSignal & WeatherSignal sensor networks on 7m phones
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Man made Data
“Man is the measure of all things” - Protagoras
Old school measurements:
“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.” - NIV Bible
The Cheugugi rain gauge, Korea.
“that which no canvas sails could withstand” - Force 12, the Beaufort Scale.
Diaries. Newspapers. Civil records. FB. Twitter.
Da Vinci’s Schema delle Proporzioni
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Mobile Sensors & RepurposingFingerprint
scanner Heartrate
RGB Ambient Light
Relative humidity Env. temperature
BarometerNFC
GyroscopeAccelerometer
Bluetooth radio WiFi radioFM radio
Cell radio Front camera Rear camera
GPS Magnetic field
Light flux Battery temp.
MicrophoneTouch
S I S II S III S4 S5
Images from iFixit and forthcoming OpenSignal Sensor iIbrary
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Man vs Mobile
No artwork is enhanced by the addition of clipart.
It’s quite warm.
It’s 26.2°C
Man is:
• Imprecise
• Low accuracy
• Limited range
• Magnetism?
• Not good at
logging
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Mobile Sensors are getting better
New, Smarter, More Efficient
• New raw sensors (gas, sweat,
heartrate)
• New virtual sensors offer context
awareness & more (pedometer,
activity recognition, significant motion)
• Efficiency of mobile sensing
increasing
(co-processors/sensor batching)
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Outdoor temperature from phone batteries
All phones have battery temperature sensors
Lots of things influence the battery temperature
Including outdoor air temp.
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Outdoor temperature from phone batteries
Linear transformation.
Details in GRL &at OpenSignal.com/reports
OpenSignal @jamescrr
Do People Like Obama?
• WiFi routers are occasionally named to express political opinions
• We found 1140 WiFis referencing Obama in May 2012
• Net +ve sentiment
• Other WiFi tricks: net discovery.
OpenSignal @jamescrr
When do we get up?
Weekdays – 8 am Weekends – 10 am
We modeled US LTE speeds with linear regression, variables included signal quality and factors for hour of day.
OpenSignal @jamescrr
How much do I use my phone?
Feb Mar AprJanDec
0
5
10
15
20
• Number of times I turn on my Galaxy S4 screen per hour.
• Darkest blue is 50.
• GS4 is not my only phone.
OpenSignal @jamescrr
The World is now your LabMobiles sensors:• pre-existing• maintenance free• continually upgraded piece of scientific apparatus, capturing unparalleled detail on the environment & human activities.
Challenges• Capabilities of mobile exceed the
ambition of app developers• No Higgs boson sensor yet
Your device can be a nut in a scientific apparatus larger than the LHC
OpenSignal @jamescrr
We are Hiring
OpenSignal.com/jobs