The Urban Center for Computation and Data has launched the Array of Things project, which seeks to create a bounty of data to better understand the environment, infrastructure, and activity of cities, creating a new public instrument for research, education, and applications that improve the lives of city residents. The MacArthur-supported initiative will install a network of modular, interactive sensors around Chicago to monitor temperature, sound, air quality, and other measures. Potential uses of the data gleaned include a route-finder for planning walks during the healthiest or most populated times, up-to-date weather information for different areas of the city, and street and sidewalk temperature monitoring to guide more efficient salting during winter storms.
