1. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
an open hardware project
2nd OpenWater symposium and
workshops
Brussel, September 16-17, 2013
Fedi A., Ferrari D.,Lima M., Pintus F., Versace C. and Boni G.

2. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Layout
 Introduction
 Acronet Paradigm
 Configurations
 Some applications:
Milano Municipality
SMUPIS Project
EMMA Project
Enhancing Resilience in the Caribbean Project
 Conclusions

3. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
INTRODUCTION
For the monitoring of hydrometeorological
variables, and more generally, for decision
support systems, the instrumental in-situ
measurement is crucial.
Referring to professional
micrometeorological stations, there is a
problem represented by the high costs of
measures.
The high cost can be substantially related to
the quality of the materials, to the array of
industrial production processes and to the
costs of skilled workers, needed for the
installation and for the maintenance of the
equipment.

4. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Up to 20-30 K€ each,
10-15 % more
Every year for
maintainance
Always tied to proprietary
systems and protocols

5. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
With "ACRONET Paradigm" we
propose a new model of
production, distribution, in-the-
field installation of Measuring
Systems connected through
Knowledge Networks, based on
recent concepts of "Open
Hardware”*.
* Acccording to the International vocabulary of
metrology — basic and general concepts and
associated terms (3 ed.). Joint Committee on Guides
for Metrology (JCGM). 2008.
(http://www.bipm.org/utils/common/documents/jcgm/J
CGM_200_2008.pdf)

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Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
by the end user

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Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
This should not be obtained at the expense of measurement accuracy
and quality and durability of materials.
This can be obtained focusing on
• ease of maintenance and installation
• making economies of scale and supplying directly on the market of the
hardware components.
LOWER
COST
LOW
QUALITY
LOWER is the
final unit price of the measure
only!

9. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction

10. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Components Assembling
Shared design, implementation and
testing of suitable modular elements to
be used for the construction of measuring
instruments, through the simple
assembly of commercial parts readily
available on the market.

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12. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Software Modules
The design and development of the
firmware for the control of modular
elements and the software to control the
measures and the flow of information
between elements adopting open
source requirements.

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Open Hardware
Free Publication of the design schemes of the
modular elements that compose the measuring
instruments, according to the "open hardware"
standards. Creation of a community of
developers for the hardware.
Licenses
Creative Commons + EUPL (firmware) + trademark (Italy)
http://www.oshwa.org

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Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction

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ACRONETWORK Infrastructure
Implementation and maintenance of a
technical infrastructure for the remote
control and connection of ACRONET
instruments made through
“environmental knowledge” networks
(e.g. web based GIS).
The network allows the management of
users’ communities and the geographic
contextualization of data.

16. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Accuracy
The ACRONET modular elements allow the
continuous monitoring and suitable
quantification of the physical
consistency and accuracy of
measurements, by using appropriate
self-diagnosis and intrinsic validation
techniques.
This differs from the usual practice that
guarantees only (and not always) the
precision of the instrument, after lab
tests, and the compliance with standards
of production.

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Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
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Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction

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21. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Projects
In the following, some of the projects
involving ACRONET hardware we are
working on

22. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Measurement of snow depth
Activation of snowplows operators
(managed by external companies)
A posteriori Evaluation of actual costs
Municipality needs:
manage owned data to evaluate in house
the situation (both in real and deferred
time)

23. Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Snow gage
Snow depth sensor with centimetre precision using
commercial components (ultrasonic sensor of distance)
and electronics for signal conditioning

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SMUPIS – POR Italian Project
financed by Regione Liguria (IT)
aimed to the evaluation of soil
moisture in order to include its
measurements into wildfire risk
models
Use of OPEN SOURCE
(ACRONET®) instruments to
perform the monitoring campaign
on three sites

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Sensor of Volumetric
Water Content
(commercial) linked to
ACROSTATION board
The project will develop
a new sensor to measure
the humidity of the
DEADWOOD by using a
new ACRONET sensor

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Early warning system for air quality
adopting ACRONET® components
Allows monitoring of contaminants of
interest and the determination of a
synthetic index of air quality (AQI)
It furnishes forecasts (short time) of
the AQI
CIMA-ACROTEC Pilot project (self financed)
The developed sensor will be adopted by La Spezia (IT) port
authority to quantify the contribution of the port activities to
air pollution in the nearby city.

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Air quality
Realization of a complete station with 3 sensors for the
measurement of concentrations of pollutants in the air
(Nitrogen Oxides / Carbon Monoxide, Ozone and
PM10) and ad-hoc electronic parts.
Principles of Operation sensors:
NO2/CO, O3 - sensors made of metal oxides, semiconductors (
variation of the resistance)
PM10: measuring the variation of light intensity due to the
scattering induced by the presence of particulate

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Problem: monitoring of
meteorological variables
during the hurricanes season
Solution: ACRONET Rural
Board and third party
instruments
(anemometer, rain
gauge, thermometer)

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NESA PL 400
High precision Rain Gauge Sensor
Surface area 400cm2
Measure with stainless steel tilting bucket
Compact and light design in aluminium
WMO standards compliant
able to measure up to 300mm/h
SUTRON TIPPING BUCKET RAIN GAUGE
STAINLESS STEEL
Orifice Size: Ø 7.87 in. (20 cm)
Surface area 314cm2
WMO standards compliant
Rugged Magnetic Proximity Switch

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Data
Collector
at national
Met-Service
SFTP
(Internet)
GSM/
GPRS
DEWETRA
AWS
Database
GSM/
GPRS
GSM/
GPRS
GSM/
GPRS
GSM/
GPRS
GSM/
GPRS
GPRS

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Real-Time IT Systems for Disaster Risk Reduction
Due to its characteristics of "economy"
and "openness", just like open source
software, the paradigm can still find a
significant development in niche areas
in industrialized countries.
The model aims to be ethically
sustainable, adoptable without large initial
investments, and manageable in total
autonomy, even in countries with emerging
economies.

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