Revitalizing a field wireless network for research, education and outreach at the Harvard Forest

振兴哈佛森林的研究、教育和推广现场无线网络

• 批准号: 2129580
• 负责人: Emery Boose
• 金额: $ 16.16万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2129580&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Revitalizing; field; wireless; network; research

Research in environmental science is increasingly dependent on sensor arrays, computer networks, and near-real-time data processing and visualization. At the Harvard Forest, the Field Wireless Network extends the university computer network into the research forest where there is little or no cell phone reception. Since 2010 the Field Wireless has supported a wide range of research projects with investigators from many different institutions, resulting in (as of March 2021) 27 datasets publicly available online and 291 related scientific publications. Many of these projects are long-term experiments associated with the LTER and AmeriFlux networks; others are short-term projects by researchers drawn to the Forest because of its infrastructure and long-term data. The Field Wireless enables scientists to monitor and control their equipment and collect data remotely, reducing travel costs and loss of data from problems that would otherwise have gone undetected since the last in-person visit. In recent years, and especially after the onset of the pandemic, the Field Wireless has supported virtual field trips and remote instruction, broadening the audience and geographic reach of the Forest’s education and outreach efforts. This project will greatly improve the performance of the Field Wireless by significantly increasing network bandwidth and the number of sites with Wi-Fi capability. These improvements will enable exciting new possibilities for research, including data collection from more extensive sensor arrays, video streaming, and near-real-time ecological forecasting. They will also expand the number and diversity of field sites available for remote instruction, especially benefiting groups that are underrepresented in the sciences and often unable to visit the Forest in person due to distance, cost, or physical accessibility. Virtual field trips and remote learning via the Field Wireless will remain a major means for a reaching a broader audience long after the pandemic has receded.This project will expand and revitalize the Harvard Forest Field Wireless Network, which was commissioned in 2010 with support from NSF, DOE, and Harvard University and is jointly managed by the Forest and Harvard Network Operations. The Field Wireless currently provides Internet access to field sites spread across the 375-ha Prospect Hill Tract, including 10 major sites with a walk-in equipment shed, 24-port network switch, and wireless access point (AP), and 10 minor sites with an instrument enclosure and data logger or phenology camera. Sites are connected by carrier-grade unlicensed spread-spectrum radios: 5.8 GHz radios for tower-to-tower communications with unobstructed line of sight and 900 MHz radios for tower-to-ground communications through the forest canopy. Network bandwidth is limited by the radios and ranges from 2 to 5 Mbps, depending on the site. A dedicated virtual private network (VPN) allows researchers to access their equipment remotely when not at the Forest. This project will retain the basic design of the Field Wireless but greatly improve its performance by (1) replacing the current radios (which are no longer available) with new radios at least an order of magnitude faster, (2) adding two new experimental sites, (3) adding Wi-Fi capability at nine sites that currently lack it, and (4) augmenting Wi-Fi at four sites that are regularly used for education and outreach. The resulting increase in network bandwidth and Wi-Fi availability will significantly improve support for data-intensive research projects, virtual field trips, and remote instruction; by improving communications, it will also enhance safety for students and scientists working in the Prospect Hill Tract of the Harvard Forest (https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

环境科学的研究越来越多地取决于传感器阵列，计算机网络以及近实时的数据处理和可视化。在哈佛森林，现场无线网络将大学计算机网络扩展到很少或没有手机接收的研究森林。自2010年以来，无线现场为许多不同机构的调查人员提供了广泛的研究项目，从而（截至2021年3月）27个数据集在网上公开可用和291个相关科学出版物。这些项目中有许多是与LTER和AMERIFLUX网络相关的长期实验。其他的是研究人员由于其基础设施和长期数据而吸引森林的短期项目。现场无线化使科学家能够监视和控制其设备并远程收集数据，从而降低了自上次面对面访问以来本来将无法发现的问题中的数据丢失。近年来，尤其是在大流行病开始后，无线现场支持虚拟实地考察和远程指导，扩大了森林教育和宣传工作的听众和地理范围。该项目将通过显着增加网络带宽和具有Wi-Fi功能的站点数量来大大提高现场无线的性能。这些改进将为研究带来令人兴奋的新可能性，包括来自更广泛的传感器阵列，视频流和近实时的生态预测的数据收集。他们还将扩大可用于远程指导的现场站点的数量和多样性，特别是使科学中代表不足的小组受益，并且由于距离，成本或物理可及性，通常无法亲自访问森林。在大流行后很长一段时间以来，虚拟实地考察和通过现场无线学习的远程学习将仍然是一种主要手段。该项目将扩大和振兴哈佛森林现场无线网络，该网络于2010年由NSF，DOE和哈佛大学的支持委托，并由森林和哈佛网络的业务共同管理。当前，现场无线提供了互联网访问，可访问分布在375-ha Prospect Hill区域的现场站点，其中包括10个带步入设备棚的主要站点，24端口网络开关和无线接入点（AP）以及10个带有仪器外壳和数据记录摄像机或现场摄像机的次要站点。站点通过载体级无牌传播光谱收音机连接：5.8 GHz收音机，用于塔式通信，并带有无障碍的视线和900 MHz无线电，用于通过森林冠层的塔式通信。网络带宽受收音机的限制，并取决于2至5 Mbps，具体取决于站点。专用的虚拟专用网络（VPN）允许研究人员在不在森林时远程访问设备。该项目将保留无线现场的基本设计，但通过（1）用新的无线电替换了当前的无线电（不再可用），至少要更快地订单，（2）添加两个新的实验站点，（3）在目前缺乏的九个站点上添加Wi-Fi，以及（4）Empenting Wi-fi and porthers and porty and porty and porty and porty and porty and porty and porty and porthers and porthers and porthers and interive and。由于网络带宽和Wi-Fi的可用性的增加将显着改善对数据密集型研究项目，虚拟实地考察和远程指导的支持；通过改善沟通，它还将提高在哈佛森林的前景山区（https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu）中工作的学生和科学家的安全性。这项奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过基金会的知识优点和广泛的影响来评估NSF的法定任务。