EAGER: I-Corps: Smart Water Systems

洪水是造成美国各地自然灾害死亡和财产损失的主要原因。缓解水风险对水管理者、公司和业主来说是一个严峻的挑战。这包括与灾害应对、雨水基础设施建设和水质管理相关的风险。这一i-Corps项目的成功实施将带来新的工具，以应对美国在面对水灾时面临的挑战。该项目将开发“智能”水工具，通过研究基于数据、分析和传感的新方法来解决水风险管理问题。这将减少在洪水预报、规划和基础设施建设方面做出决策的风险。该项目还将带来新的就业机会和劳动力培训，作为新兴的“智能”水务部门的一部分。这个i-Corps项目将调查水信息的经济价值。该项目将与决策者接触，包括水资源管理者、能源生产者和农业管理者。将进行一系列访谈，以增进对这些缔约方面临的水挑战和风险的了解。重点将放在信息技术的作用上，如传感器、自主系统和人工智能工具。通过量化水风险和改善对不确定性的理解，该项目将对阻碍水部门采用技术的障碍提供新的见解。该项目的成果将改变对“智能”技术在水资源管理中作用的基本理解。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Flooding is the leading cause of natural disaster fatalities and property damage across the United States. Mitigating water risks poses a serious challenge to water managers, companies, and home owners. This includes risk related to disaster response, stormwater infrastructure construction, and the management of water quality. Successful execution of this I-Corps project will result in new tools to address the challenges faced by the United States in the face of water disasters. This project will result in 'smart' water tools that address the management of water risk by investigating new methods based on data, analytics and sensing. This will reduce the risk associated with making decision in regard to flood forecasting, planning, and infrastructure construction. The project will also result in new jobs and workforce training as part of an emerging 'smart' water sector.This I-Corps project will investigate the economic value of water information. The project will engage with decision makers, including water managers, energy producers, and agricultural managers. A series of interviews will be conducted to improve the understanding of water challenges and risks faced by these parties. A focus will be placed on the role of information technologies, such as sensors, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence tools. By quantifying water risk and improving the understanding of uncertainty, the project will provide new insights into the barriers that stand in the way of technology adoption in the water sector. The outcome of the project will transform the fundamental understanding of the role of 'smart' technologies in managing water resources.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.