Sensor Grid Predicts Imminent Flooding 51
An anonymous reader writes, "NewScientistTech has an interesting story about a river sensor network that not only measures water depth and flow, but also forms a wireless computing grid to calculate possible flooding scenarios." From the article: "If the river's behavior starts to change, the network uses the data collected to run models and predict what will happen next. If a flood seems likely — because it is rapidly rising and moving quickly — the network can send a wireless warning containing the details... [A researcher said:] 'One end goal would be that people living in areas that flood can install these themselves. They are simple and robust enough to make that possible.'"
The next step: (Score:1, Offtopic)
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I was hoping for a reply from someone asking "what kind?"
To which I'd reply, "Niggers, of course."
FLOOD.....EVERYONE PANIC! (Score:1)
The yearly handouts must end (Score:5, Insightful)
There is a difference between: "I'm building my house here, and there is a remote chance of a flood. Would you agree to help me out and spread out the risk?" and "Between me, my father and my grandfather we've rebuilt this house 4 times due to flooding. It's terrible. Give us more money to do it again."
I'm often accused of being a liberal, but the latter group deserve nothing from the government, and insurance companies should not be compelled to grant them policies. There has to be a "Sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense" threshold when it comes to these sorts of things. National Flood Insurance and private initiatives are a good safety net that I fully support, but they shouldn't be a replacement for common sense and responsibility.
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People who live in a 1 year flood plain will pay far, far more for flood insurance than people who live in a 100 year flood plain. That's A Good Thing(tm). Please don't complain about the system working, or as so many on Slashdot like to put it, "There's nothing to see here, move along."
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http://www.floodsmart.gov/ [floodsmart.gov]
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The USG: Your source for "Stupid Insurance" (Score:3, Insightful)
Why our government, of course; the world's biggest insurance company, and the only one dumb enough to underwrite such a policy.
No sane insurance company would write half the policies that the National Flood Insurance Program does, because they know better. They can't just depend on a steady stream of money from nowhere to keep them afloat financially, at the same time that their insureds may be literally; companies in the real world have to at least break even ove
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Sensor Grid Predicts Imminent Flooding (Score:2, Funny)
Sensor Grid Predicts Imminent Flooding
Holy shit!!! Where!?!?
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"Sensor Grid Able to Predict Imminent Flooding" would have made a lot more sense.
The Problem With Reliance (Score:2, Interesting)
My main question is there a fail safe in place?
If citizens become reliant on it they may become slow to react without the system giving the go ahead. Such assurances can be easily and unintentionally abused when those that were once advocates for common sense become used to automation.
or forest fires (Score:1)
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what the story doesn't say is... (Score:1)
.... EVERYBODY PANIC!! (Score:4, Interesting)
Actually, some of this is really interesting technology. A few projects along these lines have been Motes and Smart Dust at Berkeley, and at least one of the groups named their project after the Larsen Localizers from Vernor Vinge's books even though getting that small is a ways out. Gumstix is a bit bigger, so there are a few more options and a bit less work on customization required compared to the smaller devices.
Overkill? (Score:4, Interesting)
Reading the article I wonder whether this vastly more complex system is really going to work when the river is in full flood and metre sized boulders are scouring out the river bed and banks. I've seen Bluetooth mice having trouble communicating in indoor conditions at a distance of 2 metres.
Still it is not all bad - at least the sheep will get to enjoy their own WiFi connection.
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I was watching the Chinese Grand Prix formula one race a few weeks ago, and saw a perfect example of why all the instrumentation in the world can't replace human experience and instinct. The Ferrari (sp?) technicians were all lined up in their booth, dozens of screens of input scrolling past them. But when it started
Mk.1 Eyeball (Score:3, Interesting)
The best part is that the NOAA has a "sensor net" for that type of 'remote data sensor' already. It's called "SKYWARN [skywarn.org]" (beware, there is some sort of hideous applet or something on their page, it got my machine's HD thrashing for half a minute while FF froze) and it provides some really good coverage of stuff that might not get picked up by mechanical sensors. It wouldn
How New? (Score:1)
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Wired article... and more on the Sensor Web (Score:4, Informative)
On sensors, read this story on the OGC [Open Geospatial Consortium] specifications [slashgeo.org]. If you look at this [slashgeo.org], you'll find more interesting stories on the Sensor Web, including the SensorMap from Microsoft Research [slashgeo.org] and new RFID technology for instant forest fire alerts [slashgeo.org]. (yes yes, this is mostly on-topic shameless plugs!
Take action immediately! (Score:2)
Well, actually I'm just building a large boat for me and all my animals, but I'm already in a rather high area so should be ready by the time it gets to me
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The Techynology or the people? (Score:1)
Ummm... Would that be the people that are simple and robust or the technology? Either way, surely this is a win-win scenario in an election year, right?
Floods in Czech Republic (Score:2, Insightful)
We knew about the flood, we knew about it's magnitude. There was just nothing we could do about it. Dam management worked their butts off, but dams could not hold the water and it poured OVER the dams.
It's not like you're can build 50ft wall around the river in the heart of the capital city, just so once in your lifetime it would be used. Shoure it would be the solution,
Immigrant Flooding (Score:1)
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How imminent? (Score:2)
Sensor Grid Predicts Imminent Flooding
*accidentaly pushes glass of water off my table*
I predict imminent flooding of the floor accompanied with pieces of broken glass
*SCHPIIIIIIIIILK*
Don't pay attention to me, I'm just trolling.
who will change batteries? (Score:1)
"... Each node is smaller than a human fist and powered by batteries and solar panels....
The sensors are positioned within tens of metres of each other and communicate through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth..."
knowing that neither Wifi, nor bluetooth are very efficiently dealing with the powerconsumption, i wonder who will be changing the batteries of these sensors every so many months.
Santos City's sensor grid (Score:2, Interesting)
This network of channels was done in the early XX century by Saturnino de Brito, making the city the best in wastewater/drainage