Learning Outcomes
During this course, the students will acquire knowledge about the latest advances on digital measurement techniques in the broad field of critical urban infrastructure, including water flow/pressure metering, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors for water and energy applications, simulation of virtual sensors and sensor networks architectures, and processing of sensor data. The technical content on new digital technologies will be coupled with content on the relevance of smart sensing techniques for better monitoring and resilience of interconnected critical urban infrastructure (e.g., water networks, electricity grid, sensor networks), with theory, methods, and applications.
The students will learn what the current research challenges in the field of digital metering are, in different scientific settings.
They will approach the practical implementation of solutions to currently relevant problems in the field of digitalisation of critical urban infrastructure.
They will learn how to concisely present a research work and pitch a project idea and proposed solution.
Content
The block course “Smart Sensing” deals with the area of sensors and data gathering and processing in different urban critical infrastructure sectors (e.g., measurement of flow in a water pipe). Moreover, it will give fundamental knowledge about data harvesting and processing (e.g., with new digital sensors and Internet of Things technologies). In this course, the phenomenon of digitalization of urban critical infrastructure will be analysed, with a particular focus on its sensor components and applications.
During the "hackathon" activity, the students will be actively fostered to develop own solutions to relevant problems related to the course content, with a focus on sensor technologies and processing of sensor data.
Assessment includes a final presentation of the solution developed in teams to the hackathon challenges.
The lectures will be given in English.
Description of Teaching and Learning Methods
The lectures will be mainly in a frontal presentations format and held virtually via Zoom. Slides will be made available to students.
The project (hackathon) includes tutoring sessions to guide the student through the solution development process and give them feedback.
A short (max 7 pages) final report will be delivered at the end of the course as a deliverable of small hackathons with teams of participating students.
The course is going to be fully virtual and everything is going to be managed online. Further instructions will be communicated to registered students on how to get access to the online lectures and hackathon materials for the school. The course will be conducted as a five-days intensive teaching week plus a digital pre- and post-processing part with includes team activities.
