SCC-Planning: Smart and Connected Residential Water Quality Community

该提案的目标是计划在住宅层面大规模实施水质传感器，并使用物联网（IOT）方法开发传感器网络。传感器成本低，易于与手机和平板电脑等个人设备集成，这为开发新方法以在家庭层面测量水质并提高消费者信心提供了新的机会。建议的物联网网络还将允许社区收集跨城镇和地区的众包地理数据，以定位并最终解决供水网络中的水质问题。提出了五项规划活动：1）收集有关可在社区层面部署的饮用水传感器的信息; 2）评估基于智能手机的物联网水传感器系统的开发; 3）评估水传感器的安全性。3）确定全国范围内的水质感知; 4）确定不同社区用户采用传感器和网络的意愿; 5）让水务公司，私人水井所有者和其他水创新组织与最终用户（居民）合作，形成一个智能社区，该社区将有可能支持众包水质数据。在此规划提案期间，我们的团队将从多个来源收集数据，以提出研究策略并选择一个社区进行试点测试。同时，我们将确定的看法，态度，行为和人口统计方面，不仅可能影响使用传感器的意愿，但也广泛的社区采用的其他障碍。最后，我们将确定设施，资源和专业知识，将支持未来研究的成功表现。该项目将工程学、社会学和行为科学的研究人员联系起来，以解决影响我们社会的复杂问题，例如在基础设施老化的情况下确保安全饮用水。为了协调智能手机上的传感和用户交互，以实现水应用，必须了解水管理团队和居民的利益相关者的需求。因此，我们会采取参与式的设计方法，定期与这些持份者互动，进行调查，并收集他们对需要的意见。这也将引导我们分析用户使用智能手机和其他便携式技术（如水质传感器）的能力。这将决定用户采用拟议技术的意愿程度。因此，我们将使用设计思维流程设计和开发应用程序用户界面，以满足最终用户的需求和能力。此外，我们将确定最佳的方法，以便在本规划阶段选定的其中一个社区进行全面研究。研究团队结合专业知识将能够解决社会和技术方面的问题，以发展智能和互联的社区。支持社区参与的努力，新英格兰水和环境协会将促进研究小组与私人井业主以及水设施之间的沟通和活动协调。通过这两个拟议的工作坊，研究小组将为未来的全面建议制定概念框架，包括社区的需求和关注。此外，他们将能够确定设施，资源和专业知识，支持在社区的研究工作的成功表现。

The objective of this proposal is to plan the development of a large-scale implementation of water quality sensors at the residential level and to develop a network of sensors using an Internet-of-Things (IOT) approach. Low sensor costs and their easy integration with personal devices such as cell phones and tablets open new opportunities for the development of novel approaches to measure water quality at the household level and increase consumer confidence. The proposed IOT network also will allow the community to gather crowdsourced geo data across towns and districts to locate and ultimately solve the water quality issues in the water distribution networks.Five planning activities are proposed: 1) Collect information about available drinking water sensors to be deployed at the community level; 2) Evaluate the development of a smartphone-based Internet-of-Things system for water sensors; 3) Determine water quality perceptions nationwide; 4) Determine the willingness to adopt the sensor and network by users in different communities; 5) Engage water utilities, private well owners and other water innovation organizations with end-users (residents) to form a smart community that will have a potential to support crowdsourcing the water quality data. During this planning proposal, our team will collect data from multiple sources to propose a research strategy and to select a community for pilot testing. Simultaneously, we will identify perceptions, attitudes, behaviors and demographic aspects that could affect not only the willingness to use the sensor but also other barriers for widespread community adoption. Finally, we will identify facilities, resources and expertise that will support the successful performance of the future research. This project connects researchers from engineering, social and behavioral sciences to solve complex problems affecting our society such as insuring safe drinking water in times of decaying infrastructure.In order to orchestrate the intelligence of sensing and user interaction on smartphones for water application, it is essential to understand the requirements of the stakeholders both in the water management team and residents. Hence, we will take a participatory design approach and interact with these stakeholders periodically to conduct surveys and acquire their feedback on their needs. This will also lead us to profile the user's capabilities to use smartphones and other portable technologies such as water quality sensors. This will determine the level of willingness of users to adopt the proposed technology. Accordingly, we will design and develop the app user interfaces using design-thinking processes that will meet the needs and capabilities of end users. Additionally, we will determine the best methodologies to propose a full-scale study in one of the communities selected for this planning stage. The research team combined expertise will be able to address both social and technological aspects for the development of a smart and connected community. Supporting the community engagement efforts, New England Water and Environment Association will facilitate the communication and activities coordination between the research group and private well owners as well as water facilities. Through the two proposed workshops the research team will develop the conceptual framework for the future full proposal including the needs and concerns of the community. Additionally, they will be able to identify facilities, resources and expertise that support the successful performance of the research effort in the community.