Copenhagen Layer in Reality view

Now that the Copenhagen Conference is over we are left with a disappointing end statement. Apparently this was the maximum our world leaders could achieve when they got together: the potential was huge, the output (very) disappointing.

In this light I’m very proud to present a local grass-roots initiative to bring street level measurements of environmental pollution to the real time web and your mobile phone.

Please meet Copenhagenlayer.org and its Augmented Reality counter part Copenhagen Layer (link opens Layar app on your mobile device, only useful if you’re in Copenhagen).

So what is it actually?

It all started with a blog post by Ronni Tino Pedersen in October, about how cool it would be to visualize the local Copenhagen climate and green initiatives as an overlay over the city, using Augmented Reality. There was no clear focus, but people got interested and started to contact him with ideas. And so the plan grew to

1. take tiny portable environmental measurement devices,
2. link these to the internet using mobile phones,
3. have bike messengers drive them around through city traffic,
4. thus get a real-time cross section of the local environment conditions within the city,
5. make these data points visible using Mobile Augmented Reality.

This only could happen by the shared effort of a very enthusiastic virtual team. This team consisted of

• Ronni Tino Pedersen Strategic online communications @ New Media Days at Danish Broadcasting Corporation – initiator and virtual project manager
• Michael Setton, CEO of Sensaris.com who provided the sensors (senspods) and real time measurement set-up
• Tobias Lau, CEO and founder of Socialaction.dk developing environmental projects with a social scientific focus
• Michael Friis, creator of Folketsting.dk created the site copenhagenlayer.org including the Google Maps version
• Tomas Skovgaard, architect maa Tomasskovgaard.com made all graphics
• Peter Vangsbo Madsen, Cowi.com provided specialist advise on air pollution
• And myself as data integrator and developer of the Layar implementation

The result is impressive, using your mobile phone you can experience what the environmental conditions are in your direct neighborhood, and if you’re lucky this data is measured just a few minutes ago! Although not yet directly related to the big picture of the Copenhagen Conference with its focus on CO2 reduction, this project may evolve so that a future version can even visualize the real-time carbon footprint of traffic in the city.

To quote Ronni Tino Pedersen:

I actually think copenhagenlayer in it’s current state will make a greater impact as part of the COP15 long tail than it could have during the summit. By focusing on the enabling possibilities of street level measurements we can now show some grassroots action that the politicians couldn’t. This is a good story with a fair chance of making it through the journalistic filters.

And so it is indeed.

Are you in Copenhagen? Then jump in: open Layer with the Copenhagen Layer

Just keep in mind that this project is in its early stages. The measurements are not very well calibrated yet. Interpretation is always risky and indicative at best, but the trends are real and it is very revealing to see the enormous difference of being surrounded by busy traffic or being amidst a calm city park. There are lots and lots more data available from the senspods than NOx alone, these will be integrated once a solid model for interpretation will be established. And with more sensors and more data points available all kind of aggregated views can be constructed and more reliable conclusions drawn. Heatmaps, rush hour vs. mid day traffic, summer vs winter, the sky is the limit.

This is the start of something great!

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Image via CrunchBase

Today Dennis Crowley from Foursquare gave an excellent presentation at  Mobile Monday, Amsterdam edition (#momoams on Twitter).

If you were there, you now know everything about the city as playground (pacmanhattan.com) and personal metrics.

I’m very grateful and proud that he took the opportunity to announce my Foursquare application for Layar, which allows you to use the most popular features of Foursquare from Layar.

What it is

Foursquare is a very popular social network game which integrates virtual social networks with the real world. Friends meet friends in cafes and bars and let each other know where they hang out. If you haven’t yet, it is definitely worth to check it out.

The Foursquare Layar app gives you access to the most frequently used features of the network.

• Show venues around you, including which people are frequenting them, who is the mayor and user tips what to do.
• Find nearby tips what to do and see at a glance what makes a location special.
• Check in to a venue and let your friends know that you hang out there.

Open Layer with foursquare

A basic version of these views is accessible even when you’re not signed in to Foursquare, which gives you an excellent opportunity to look around before jumping in and signing up (I’m quiet sure you will eventually plunge in and sign up to connect with your friends)!

These views are greatly enhanced when you’re signed-in. Then all venues where you or your friends have checked in are prioritized and highlighted. Tips from friends stand out. And you’re able to view what users have on their profile, which “badges” they earned and so on.

Give it a spin: open the Foursquare Layer on your mobile device.

Short FAQ

A few words about the options illustrated with screenshots.

Filter Options

Select your list from the filters menu (presented at application launch or from the menu). For now Venues and Tips are available. The range slider lets you adjust the distance within results are looked up and displayed, up to a maximum of 50 items.

Venue list

Venues in Reality View

Venues are shown in the Reality View as an overlay over your current surrounding (as seen through the mobile device’s camera). Different icons are applied depending on wheter you or your friends have signed in at a venue, or if the venue is considered a favorite.

Alternative views are map view and list view (see below).

Tips

Tips presented on the map view

Just like venues, Tips are looked up such that friends and popular venues are prioritized. With each tip the user is shown who contributed the tip. This enables you at the same time to get some more info about this user.

User view

Mobile view of user dashoard

Quickly shows user info, e.g. at which venues they are mayor, what badges they earned and such. Links to venues are clickable and take you to the venue with all Foursquare related data. You need to be logged in to see user data.

Venue view

Detail view of Venue

The baseic venue information, including address, phone and Twitter link if available. The big blue checking button lets you quickly check in at the venue (provided you are logged in of course). User tips and the mayor are shown, their avatars link to the user detail page.

Login / connect

Connect / login screen

You will be taken to a friendly “connect” dialog ss soon as you access an action for which you need to be signed in. Then you are securely connected to the Foursquare service, the same way as modern Twitter applications do. This means that you can break the connection from either side, the Layar app or Foursquare, whichever you happen to be at. For geeks: this is called OAuth and the current best practice standard way to connect social applications.

Beta version

The current implementation is to be considered an early beta version. The feature list above is not complete yet.
Emphasis has been put on those services which revolve around your current location. In other words, they present the view of your social network with your location at the center. This means that searches are done by proximity rather than name or some other property.

Also, some quirks between the Layar app and the Foursquare API are likely to pop up from time to time.
These will be fixed and smoothed out during the coming months. Then a new version of the Layar app is in the works, which will provide a much nicer integration at the User Interaction level.

I’m really excited to have this basic version up and running and I’m looking forward to your comments. Please share them in the feedback box below, or drop me a line.

Update 2009-11-20: the Foursquare layer was mentioned on the Layar website today, nice!

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