Challenge Summary
How can public data and mobile apps provide better tools for dealing with weather and climate?
Nothing affects as many aspects of our daily lives as much as weather. Many of the decisions we make take weather into account in some fashion, from choices regarding what to wear and what routes to take to work to decisions about when to travel and what to do on our days off. Weather and climate impacts almost every industry and level of government as well. Examples include power companies determining how much power should be generated for a particular day, airlines deciding what routes to fly, and first responders planning for and responding to severe weather events.
Science isn't going to learn to control weather by tomorrow, but technology can help us prepare for it better today. With all of the public data that is available online for roads, weather, climate, and even population demographics, have we given ourselves the right tools? With this challenge, we are seeking novel ideas for combining public data with a mobile application, to help citizens and planners make smarter choices when dealing with weather and climate related decisions.
The purpose of this challenge is to generate ideas for an innovative mobile application that uses NOAA weather, water, and/or climate data to provide a societal benefit in a new or unique way.
NOAA is an acronym that stands for the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA gathers, studies and stores data about the climate and oceans, along with other interests. It maintains satellites to watch weather systems change world-wide, it posts current weather forecasts, maintains past weather predictions, and makes it all available on their website.
In this challenge, we'd like you to include NOAA data in some fashion. However, you can combine this data with one or more additional sources too. For one example, NASA's Earth Science division also hosts extensive weather and climate data. For another example, public bureaus in the European Union, the United States, and elsewhere track and provide population demographic data. You can also integrate social media, like Twitter and Facebook.
Here is a prioritized list of the characteristics of the types of ideas we would like to receive:
1. Apps that combine or fuse NOAA data with other types in non-traditional ways
2. Apps that provide a societal benefit in a new or unique way
3. Apps that support the tenants of NOAA’s Weather Ready Nation
For Example: Combine census data of elderly populations with real-time METAR observations, radar data (ice accumulations), and social media (tweets) to identify the most at-risk populations during power outages caused by ice storms. An app of this kind could display U.S. census data on a grid and use color coding to show the progressive threat of ice and wind chills on the same grid. Tweets could be used as confirmation of power outages.
In this particular example, the app benefits:
· Communities, to open shelters
· Emergency personnel (police, ambulances), to provide or even pre-position aid
· Power utilities, to prioritize power restoration crews.
The types of ideas we do not want to receive:
1. Apps that only display current observations, products, forecasts, warnings, or predictions
2. Apps that provide no new or unique capabilities
3. Apps that have no obvious benefit or end-users
Submission & Source Files:
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Preview Image
Create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024 JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
- You can take screenshot of your idea document and submit it.
- You can provide a blank image file and use it as preview image.
Submission Files
In this challenge, we're looking for ideas. We have specified PDF, PPT, etc, but any common document format is acceptable (the rule is, if we can't open it on our PCs and Macs, we won't review it). Submit zipped file of your document.
Graphics or drawings are encouraged in order to help us clearly understand your idea, but they are not required in any way, and the artistic quality of any graphic you provide will not factor into judging. Note per below that any ideas or artwork must be your own.
Source Files
This could be the same file as your submission.
Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to complete one round of minor changes to ensure your submission meets the stated requirements of this challenge.
Special Judging Requirements
Please see the Challenge Links section for a copy of the scorecard template that will be used for reviewing submissions. It is in Excel format. However, please also note that the review of this challenge is subjective, and winners will be selected by the buyer.
Please also note that the buyer may select more than 5 winners. If the buyer wishes to purchase additional winners, the buyer will pay each additional winner the value of the 5th place prize.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.