We Count
from 01/12/2019 until 30/11/2021
WeCount is a citizen science initiative that equips participants with tools to observe all types of traffic in their immediate vicinity.
We introduce the WeCount pilot research project, part of the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, and the "Science with and for Society" scheme. This project is being conducted by a project team at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Architecture, under the leadership of Associate Prof. Dr. Lucija Ažman Momirski.
The project's goal is to encourage citizens to participate in transport policy research groups, collaboratively designing local transport systems and enhancing the quality of life in five selected cities: Madrid, Dublin, Cardiff, Leuven, and Ljubljana.
As Slovenia's political, cultural, commercial, business, congress, transport, scientific, and educational hub, Ljubljana faces increasing air pollution and traffic density due to daily commutes, mainly via private cars. Thus, future transport planning must aim to involve all transport users and strive to decrease air and noise pollution, reduce energy consumption, and make smarter use of space. The goal is that by 2025, two-thirds of all trips in Ljubljana will be made on foot, by bicycle, or public transport, and only one-third by private cars.
Despite the relatively well-developed cycling network in central Ljubljana, reflected in the growing number of cyclists, cycling routes outside the city center need renovation and expansion. The identification of new cycling corridors is crucial to establishing a sustainable cycling network.
Aim
The WeCount project primarily aims to engage citizens in collecting data on local road transport systems.
Under the first objective, the project focuses on expanding both citizen and scientific understanding of traffic and transport management. This involves developing a comprehensive network of citizen scientists equipped with affordable automated sensors for traffic counting.
The second objective aims to establish a sustainable ecosystem for citizen science in traffic counting. To accomplish this, the project adopts an open science approach, training local leaders to spearhead citizen science activities in their communities.
The third objective focuses on inclusivity by lowering the technological barriers to participation. Autonomous sensing technique is used for efficient data collection, and the central data platform is simplified to be more user-friendly. Maintenance-free sensor kits are provided to ease the participation process.
Objective four is concerned with demonstrating the methodology's diverse applications. Initial pilot studies are conducted, followed by additional case studies to test the robustness of the approach. Active communities comprising professional researchers and citizen scientists are formed. The project seeks to influence local policy and contribute to global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targeting even hard-to-reach communities for involvement.
Lastly, the fifth objective focuses on generating meaningful impact on both research and local policies facilitating connections between community leaders and local policy makers, assisting in translating the citizen science findings into actionable policies.
Needed equipment
Telraam sensor version 1
Raspberry PI v3A+: with camera module and Telraam software version 9 or version 10 (updated)
Hardware:
Raspberry Pi v3A+:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/raspberry-pi-3-model-a-plus/
Camera module:
https://www.raspberrypi.org/products/camera-module-v2/
Casing (Pi & Camera):
https://www.conrad.com/p/teko-tek-cam9-sbc-camera-housing-compatible-with-raspberry-pi-black-1008227
16GB SD-card
power adapter
Software:
Version 9 was launched in 2019 and was the first version of the software.
Version 10 was launched in August 2020. The most important innovation was the possibility to check a photo of the street every day to verify the position of the camera. See this article for more details: "The Telraam background image".
Version 11 has been released in August 2021.
https://telraam.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360028846211-Updating-the-Telraam-software-by-yourself
About funding
Funding bodies: European Commission
Created Sept. 12, 2023, 10:05 a.m.
Updated Sept. 26, 2023, 10:32 a.m.
Keywords
Science Topics
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Participation tasks
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