In an exciting series of three meetings, 29 passionate citizens came together to explore the algorithm developed by AURORA and its integration into our innovative AURORA Energy Tracker app. These sessions, led by data expert Víctor Rodríguez (UPM), AURORA Project leader Ana Belén Cristóbal (UPM), and App designer Lars Lorenz (INSCICO), provided a dynamic platform for the exchange of ideas and knowledge.
First Meeting: Data Ethics and Privacy
Date: March 19
In this initial session, we delved into the topic of data ethics. Students showed great interest in understanding the mechanisms that ensure sharing data to support the Climate Pact does not infringe on their privacy. Although Europe has implemented GDPR regulations, it became clear that many citizens are not fully aware of their rights and may be hesitant to share their information.
Second Meeting: The Importance of Citizen Science
Date: April 9
Ana Belén Cristóbal took us on a fascinating journey through the world of citizen science and its crucial role in the Climate Pact. We showcased successful projects led by National Geographic in Biology, Ecology, and Earth Science, the Mosquito-Alert project, D-NOSES, “air watchers,” and many others selected from SciStarter related to recycling and efficient resource use. The students, previously unaware of these citizen movements, showed great enthusiasm to explore and contribute to these projects.
Third Meeting: Discussion on the Application and AURORA Algorithm
Date: April 23
In this final session, we connected via Zoom with Lars Lorenz to discuss the application and the AURORA algorithm in depth. Participants were very active, asking questions about the amount of data needed to validate the algorithm, the use of artificial intelligence, the exclusion of the energy impact of our food and clothing consumption, the verification of external libraries used by the application, malfunction issues on certain devices and operating systems, and planned improvements for the application.
But that’s not all! All the sessions have been recorded, and we are editing the videos to upload them to YouTube. You can already watch the first and third session.
Join the UPM community and discover how you can be part of the change through citizen science!
Images from the different sessions.
