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Smartphone batteries will help in weather forecasting

19.08.2013

The weather has a strong influence on the work of transport services and public life, and therefore the accuracy of meteorological forecasts is sometimes very significant. But, despite the use of ground observation stations, satellites and sophisticated analytical systems, it is not yet possible to fully rely on even short-term forecasts. Developers in London want to improve the situation with the help of information from millions of sensors that protect smartphone batteries from overheating.

Currently, the OpenSignal app for iPhone and Android uses data from user smartphones to assess the quality of cell towers and Wi-Fi coverage around the world, and also provides data on the traffic consumed. Now the OpenSignal database is replenished with 700 thousand active users, but the application does not transmit identification data.

James Robinson, co-founder and CTO of the London-based company OpenSignal, decided to compare London air temperature data with changes in smartphone battery temperature and found a relationship. He reported to the American Geophysical Union about a method he had discovered to facilitate the collection of weather data, and sought the help of meteorologists and computers to develop a reliable method for determining the temperature of the street based on the heating of telephone batteries.

The developers are faced with the task of creating a system for accurate and timely data processing. It was necessary to eliminate the influence of many side factors caused by the location of the devices outside the open air, and to bring the temperature deviations caused by the design of the devices and the intensity of their use into compliance. Currently, the error is brought to 1,5 ° C, but the developers note that it will decrease with an increase in the number of users.

"The ultimate goal is to provide short-term local forecasts, which until now has been impossible for meteorology," commented James Robinson.

While modern monitoring systems rely on fixed stations receiving information at a specific point, OpenSignal can significantly improve weather prediction thanks to additional information from hundreds of thousands of mobile devices corrected using weather stations. It is noteworthy that many smartphones are also equipped with humidity and pressure sensors, providing additional meteorological information.

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