Week 6 Day 1

Today was another field day for use. We went out and met Dr. Hoenghaus and Luke at the Water Treatment Facility to set up our WSN and start logging data. We got our sensor cluster anchored and set up quickly.

We did take a second to calibrate the DO sensor, but it was pretty simple.

It took a little bit longer to get the YSI Sonde calibrated and set up. This time we used a more high end model that has a longer battery life and can stay in the field longer. It also has more ports for probes. This one is equipped with a pH, DO and temperature probe but also includes a turbidity probe.

The probe that Dr. Hoeinghaus is pointing at here is the Turbidity probe. The rollers are sponges that clean the probe so nothing gets caked on to the sensor. Once it was calibrated when dropped everything in the water together so we would have data that we could compare.

The original plan was to just log two hours of data and then bail. Luke and Dr Hoeinghaus planned on being at the facility all day today and tomorrow, though, and Yixing was ok leaving his computer over night so we made an executive decision in the field and decided to let the probes run until the morning. That is exciting because it increases the likelihood of getting changes in DO and pH since the temperature will almost certainly change. Since we are leaving things in the field we needed to set up the laptop somewhere protected. Putting it in the shed seemed like the best option but we were concerned about the signal. Joe set up an antennae on the wall of the shed with the lead heading through a small hole in the wall and Yixing set up his laptop inside.

The other big piece of news was that the camera is up and running, We rigged it up on a cross bar and accessed the signal using Yixing laptop and let Luke and Dr. H play. They were very excited by the possibilities.

Back on campus we had several more successes. I completed the activity we are going to use at TechFest and got approval from Joe and Lori while Joe made some great progress with the paper. Yixing also produced schematics for our circuit that we can include in our paper.

DO Circuit

Temp Circuit

pH Circuit

Power Circuit

Complete Circuit

That's not all, though. Yixing also created a website that automatically translates the data tables produced by the data sink into a visual format.

Pretty exciting stuff! Once we get the data from the sondes and the sensor cluster we can start checking to see how accurate our system is. We will keep you posted. If you are interested in an update on the fish in the artificial stream... sadly, we are down to 11. We had a couple of floaters this morning and most of the smaller fish are gone.

Week 5 Day 5

We met this morning with a professor and some grad students from UAEM in Toluca, Mexico. Pretty interesting conversation. Apparently all of the major universities in Mexico have a network of high schools that they are associated with. They are not exactly feeder schools, but there is definitely a link. Also, the north and central districts of Mexico are going paperless and moving to iPad-based learning. I would be interested to see how they will implement that program since that definitely won't be cheap. One thing that was a little surprising was how rigid the education system in Mexico seem to be. There is no possibility of earning duel credit during high school. In fact, if you are in a bachelors program you can not do anything to earn credit towards a masters. If your degree plan is supposed to take 4 years and your finish in three... you have a year to cool your heals before you get your degree and can move up to a masters. The group that came here was primarily working in the social sciences but there was a fair bit of discussion about our aquatics project because there is a big push in Toluca right now around water quality.

That absorbed pretty much the entire morning. When we came back we all got to work starting the wrap up for this project. We discussed the goals of our paper over lunch and revised our intent a little bit. Yixin is working up the schematics for our circuits so that others could replicate our work. Joe completed our poster and it looks great! (Notice the QR code? Pretty nifty, right? It was Lori's idea.) 

On the hardware front, Yixin acquired four of the five antennae we need to install on the boxes for the WSN. One thing we noticed was that the signal strength through the Otter Boxes was extremely degraded. To eliminate that problem we are installing external antennae which should boost our range.

The fish are still doing their thing. To prove some of them are alive I snapped some picks of fish playing in the tanks and riffles.

In other news, the Loftek camera is up and running and can be controlled via cell phone. Sadly, the response time isn't great and the resolution is not good enough to make out the small fish against the gravel background. The concept is solid, though, and it is a promising start for the project next year.

Week 5 Day 4

Lots happened today and it was all good news! First, we went out into the field and deployed our sensor cluster and data sink in the artificial stream complex at the water research facility and... IT WORKED! Beautifully in fact. The data we were getting from our sensor cluster was very similar to the data coming in through the YSI Sonde, which is exactly what we were hoping for. We also compared it to data from a PASCo Spark. We will not have the data table for the sonde until Monday, but here is the data for the Spark and our Sensor cluster. One area of wide variability was the dissolved oxygen readings but our sensor cluster results ended up being pretty close to the sonde results once the sonde warmed up.

Initial test results using Spark probes:

	pH	DO	Temperature (C)	Conductivity (uS/m)
Day 1	8.81	7	26.33	700

Initial data from sensor cluster

id          time                          nodenum    ph           D.O  temp

19969 7/12/2012 11:50:41 AM 12 09.23 09.80 25.94

19968 7/12/2012 11:50:25 AM 12 09.23 09.77 25.94

19967 7/12/2012 11:50:14 AM 12 09.23 09.78 25.94

19966 7/12/2012 11:50:03 AM 12 09.23 09.77 25.94

19965 7/12/2012 11:49:52 AM 12 09.23 09.76 25.94

19964 7/12/2012 11:49:42 AM 12 09.23 09.77 25.94

19963 7/12/2012 11:49:34 AM 12 09.23 09.81 25.94

19962 7/12/2012 11:49:26 AM 12 09.23 09.75 25.94

19961 7/12/2012 11:49:16 AM 12 09.23 09.82 25.94

19960 7/12/2012 11:49:10 AM 12 09.23 09.80 25.94

19959 7/12/2012 11:49:08 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19958 7/12/2012 10:54:41 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19957 7/12/2012 10:54:32 AM 12 09.23 09.76 25.69

19956 7/12/2012 10:54:23 AM 12 09.23 09.79 25.94

19955 7/12/2012 10:54:14 AM 12 09.23 09.80 25.69

19954 7/12/2012 10:54:01 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19953 7/12/2012 10:54:01 AM 12 09.23 09.77 25.69

19952 7/12/2012 10:53:50 AM 12 09.23 09.78 25.94

19951 7/12/2012 10:53:35 AM 12 09.23 09.74 25.94

19950 7/12/2012 10:53:35 AM 12 09.23 09.74 25.94

19949 7/12/2012 10:53:16 AM 12 09.23 09.78 25.94

19948 7/12/2012 10:53:16 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.69

19947 7/12/2012 10:53:00 AM 12 09.23 09.76 25.94

19946 7/12/2012 10:53:00 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19945 7/12/2012 10:52:54 AM 12 09.23 09.76 25.69

19944 7/12/2012 10:52:48 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19943 7/12/2012 10:52:33 AM 12 09.23 09.72 25.94

19942 7/12/2012 10:52:13 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.94

19941 7/12/2012 10:52:13 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19940 7/12/2012 10:51:57 AM 12 09.23 09.75 25.94

19939 7/12/2012 10:51:41 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19938 7/12/2012 10:51:25 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.94

19937 7/12/2012 10:51:09 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19936 7/12/2012 10:50:54 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.94

19935 7/12/2012 10:50:42 AM 12 09.23 09.75 25.94

19934 7/12/2012 10:50:34 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19933 7/12/2012 10:50:18 AM 12 09.23 09.76 25.94

19932 7/12/2012 10:50:01 AM 12 09.24 09.75 25.44

19931 7/12/2012 10:49:45 AM 12 09.23 09.76 25.69

19930 7/12/2012 10:49:29 AM 12 09.23 09.74 25.94

19929 7/12/2012 10:49:13 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.94

19928 7/12/2012 10:48:57 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.94

19927 7/12/2012 10:48:41 AM 12 09.23 09.75 25.69

19926 7/12/2012 10:48:25 AM 12 09.23 09.78 25.94

19925 7/12/2012 10:48:09 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19924 7/12/2012 10:47:56 AM 12 09.23 09.74 25.94

19923 7/12/2012 10:47:43 AM 12 09.23 09.75 25.94

19922 7/12/2012 10:47:30 AM 12 09.23 09.75 25.94

19921 7/12/2012 10:47:18 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.94

19920 7/12/2012 10:47:07 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.69

19919 7/12/2012 10:46:56 AM 12 09.23 09.68 25.94

19918 7/12/2012 10:46:47 AM 12 09.23 09.78 25.94

19917 7/12/2012 10:46:38 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19916 7/12/2012 10:46:28 AM 12 09.23 09.74 25.94

19915 7/12/2012 10:46:20 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19914 7/12/2012 10:46:15 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19913 7/12/2012 10:46:07 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.69

19912 7/12/2012 10:46:02 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19911 7/12/2012 10:45:57 AM 12 09.23 09.72 25.69

19910 7/12/2012 10:45:55 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.69

19909 7/12/2012 10:45:43 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.94

19908 7/12/2012 10:45:24 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19907 7/12/2012 10:45:24 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.69

19906 7/12/2012 10:45:08 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.94

19905 7/12/2012 10:44:52 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19904 7/12/2012 10:44:37 AM 12 09.23 09.00 25.69

19903 7/12/2012 10:44:22 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19902 7/12/2012 10:44:06 AM 12 09.23 09.64 25.94

19901 7/12/2012 10:43:51 AM 12 09.23 09.68 25.94

19900 7/12/2012 10:43:40 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.69

19899 7/12/2012 10:43:28 AM 12 09.23 09.68 25.69

19898 7/12/2012 10:43:17 AM 12 09.23 09.68 25.69

19897 7/12/2012 10:43:08 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19896 7/12/2012 10:43:04 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19895 7/12/2012 10:42:50 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19894 7/12/2012 10:42:31 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.69

19893 7/12/2012 10:42:31 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19892 7/12/2012 10:42:18 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.94

19891 7/12/2012 10:42:05 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19890 7/12/2012 10:41:55 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.94

19889 7/12/2012 10:41:45 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19888 7/12/2012 10:41:36 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19887 7/12/2012 10:41:26 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19886 7/12/2012 10:41:15 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.94

19885 7/12/2012 10:41:07 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19884 7/12/2012 10:41:07 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.69

19883 7/12/2012 10:40:48 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.69

19882 7/12/2012 10:40:48 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.69

19881 7/12/2012 10:40:33 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.94

19880 7/12/2012 10:40:19 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.69

19879 7/12/2012 10:40:06 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19878 7/12/2012 10:39:52 AM 12 09.23 09.64 25.69

19877 7/12/2012 10:39:41 AM 12 09.23 09.60 25.69

19876 7/12/2012 10:39:21 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.94

19875 7/12/2012 10:39:21 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.69

19874 7/12/2012 10:39:05 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.94

19873 7/12/2012 10:38:58 AM 12 09.23 09.70 25.69

19872 7/12/2012 10:38:58 AM 12 09.23 09.73 25.94

19871 7/12/2012 10:38:41 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19870 7/12/2012 10:38:41 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19869 7/12/2012 10:38:23 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.94

19868 7/12/2012 10:38:23 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19867 7/12/2012 10:38:11 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.94

19866 7/12/2012 10:38:00 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19865 7/12/2012 10:37:49 AM 12 09.23 09.41 26.18

19864 7/12/2012 10:37:31 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.94

19863 7/12/2012 10:37:31 AM 12 09.23 09.64 25.94

19862 7/12/2012 10:37:20 AM 12 09.23 09.68 25.69

19861 7/12/2012 10:37:12 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19860 7/12/2012 10:37:07 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19859 7/12/2012 10:37:01 AM 12 09.23 09.62 25.69

19858 7/12/2012 10:36:51 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19857 7/12/2012 10:36:44 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.94

19856 7/12/2012 10:36:38 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19855 7/12/2012 10:36:31 AM 12 09.23 09.61 25.69

19854 7/12/2012 10:36:22 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19853 7/12/2012 10:36:17 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.69

19852 7/12/2012 10:36:09 AM 12 09.23 09.64 25.94

19851 7/12/2012 10:36:00 AM 12 09.23 09.65 25.69

19850 7/12/2012 10:35:51 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.69

19849 7/12/2012 10:35:42 AM 12 09.23 09.62 25.69

19848 7/12/2012 10:35:26 AM 12 09.23 09.61 25.69

19847 7/12/2012 10:35:12 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.94

19846 7/12/2012 10:34:54 AM 12 09.23 09.61 25.69

19845 7/12/2012 10:34:54 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19844 7/12/2012 10:34:38 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19843 7/12/2012 10:34:20 AM 12 09.23 09.00 25.94

19842 7/12/2012 10:34:02 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.94

19841 7/12/2012 10:33:39 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19840 7/12/2012 10:33:39 AM 12 09.23 09.71 25.94

19839 7/12/2012 10:33:23 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.69

19838 7/12/2012 10:33:07 AM 12 09.23 09.64 25.69

19837 7/12/2012 10:32:51 AM 12 09.23 09.68 25.69

19836 7/12/2012 10:32:36 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.69

19835 7/12/2012 10:32:20 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19834 7/12/2012 10:32:04 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19833 7/12/2012 10:31:48 AM 12 09.23 09.64 25.69

19832 7/12/2012 10:31:33 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.69

19831 7/12/2012 10:31:17 AM 12 09.23 09.62 25.69

19830 7/12/2012 10:31:01 AM 12 09.23 09.00 25.69

19829 7/12/2012 10:30:46 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19828 7/12/2012 10:30:25 AM 12 09.23 09.60 25.69

19827 7/12/2012 10:30:25 AM 12 09.23 09.62 25.69

19826 7/12/2012 10:30:10 AM 12 09.23 09.69 25.69

19825 7/12/2012 10:29:55 AM 12 09.23 09.64 25.69

19824 7/12/2012 10:29:38 AM 12 09.23 09.60 25.69

19823 7/12/2012 10:29:38 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19822 7/12/2012 10:29:26 AM 12 09.23 09.63 25.94

19821 7/12/2012 10:29:10 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19820 7/12/2012 10:29:10 AM 12 09.23 09.61 25.69

19819 7/12/2012 10:28:48 AM 12 09.23 09.65 25.69

19818 7/12/2012 10:28:48 AM 12 09.23 09.62 25.69

19817 7/12/2012 10:28:30 AM 12 09.23 09.66 25.69

19816 7/12/2012 10:28:30 AM 12 09.23 09.62 25.69

19815 7/12/2012 10:28:19 AM 12 09.23 09.65 25.69

19814 7/12/2012 10:28:10 AM 12 09.23 09.67 25.69

19813 7/12/2012 10:28:06 AM 12 09.23 09.62 25.69

Here are some pics of us out in the field installing this bad boy and then talking about how the data was shaping up and possible uses for it. Joe and I may or may not have also been pestering Dr. Hoeinghaus about letting us bring our AP Bio and Ap Environmental Science students up to the facility...

Sharon also caught some of this awesomeness on video...

So, the good news is that it works and our spot check seems to be producing reasonable data. We have a bit of an issue deploying the system for a long period of time. Currently it has to be plugged in to a laptop in order to log the data. That is unlikely to change any time soon because the wireless tower that will eventually provide internet to the site is still a month away from being built. We are actively looking for an alternative and I am thinking the simplest way to do that would be to add a data logger shield and SD card to the Arduino. We are ordering one today and will see if we can make that work for the time being. 

In addition to our time in the field we also had a seminar this afternoon over air quality with Dr. Kuruvilla John. His presentation was focused on ozone but also covered a good bit of general pollution, how particulate material moves and some interesting things that happen with air quality. 

Finally... Here is our data from the table top model for today.

Thursday- July 12th

9:30am

	pH	DO	Temperature	# of Fish
Tank 1				1
Tank 2				2
Tank 3				1
Tank 4				12

We had disassembled Spark unit to take to water research field station so there is no morning data.

3:00pm

	pH	DO	Temperature	# of Fish
Tank 1	8.17	8	20.14	1
Tank 2	8.15	7.5	20.13	2
Tank 3	8.13	7	20.14	1
Tank 4	8.16	7.9	20.11	12

Nothing different with results. I figure we will continue to get similar data for the rest of our research experience. In our classrooms we would have students change or add a variable and make predictions based on baseline data. They can then determine which factors would be affected by changes based on temperature, pH, or dissolved oxygen. Depending on which variable they want to study they can research the environmental tolerances. In most cases students will want to study a biotic factor so they can choose to observe and record a species behavior.