Collaborative Research: CCRI: New: SpecScape: Enabling a Global Spectrum Observatory through Mobile, Wide-band Spectrum Sensing Kits and a Software Ecosystem

随着对用于无线通信的无线频谱的需求的持续增长，频谱策略正以比以往快得多的速度演进。频谱现代化工作的核心是迫切需要以具有成本效益和准确的方式准确测量各种宽带和广泛地区的频谱活动，以便能够以数据驱动的方式仔细评估这些变化的影响并采取行动。SpecScape项目的重点是设计、实施、部署和提供低成本的套件，以实现频谱感知和测量。特别是，该团队正在构建一个端到端的基础设施，其中包括测量频谱活动的移动的传感器，支持软件生态系统，管理收集的测量结果的云托管基础设施，以及用户可以访问此类信息的机制。该项目最重要的广泛影响是，它提供了一种社区驱动的方式来了解不同频段的频谱使用-跨通信，这些信息将有助于研究人员、行业从业者和政府机构，包括政策制定者。在教育方面，该团队参与为多个机构（UW和UCSD）的本科生创建动手无线课程，让本科生参与研究相关活动，并基于频谱感知平台创建在线课件。该项目还通过多种研究成果传播渠道吸引广大受众，旨在鼓励女性和少数民族学生通过研究活动的机会追求STEM事业。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

With continued growth in the demands on wireless spectrum for wireless communication, spectrum policies are evolving at a pace far more rapid than ever before. Central to efforts of spectrum modernization is a critical need to accurately measure spectrum activities across diverse, wide bands and across wide areas in a cost-effective and accurate manner, so that impacts of such changes can be carefully evaluated and acted upon in a data-driven manner. The focus of this project, SpecScape, is to design, implement, deploy, and make available low-cost kits that allow spectrum sensing and measurement. In particular, the team is building an end-to-end infrastructure that includes mobile sensors to measure spectrum activity, a supporting software ecosystem, a cloud-hosted infrastructure to manage collected measurements, and mechanisms by which users can access such information.The most significant broader impact of this project is that it provides a community-driven way to understand spectrum use across different spectrum bands -- across communications, astronomy, weather prediction, localization systems, etc. This information will aid researchers, industry practitioners, and governmental agencies, including policymakers. On the educational side, the team is involved in creating a hands-on wireless curriculum for undergraduates across multiple institutions (UW and UCSD), engaging undergraduates in research-related activities, and creating online courseware based on the spectrum sensing platform. The project also engages a broad audience through multiple dissemination channels of research outcomes and aims to encourage women and minority students to pursue STEM careers through opportunities in research activities.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.