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Brochure 2020
Taiwan to collect data on new geo-hazards, enabling assessments of during visits to hospitals and health clinics, thereby minimizing
the risks of earthquake-triggered compound disasters. the total time required by each patient to complete his/her visits;
Another major thrust of our research is directed toward developing and
active smart embedded devices, mobile applications and services/
systems for smart homes and buildings, all of which can automatically • BOT (BeDIS object tracking) and geo-fencing services for locating
process alerts from authorized senders and building safety systems
and take location-specific actions to minimize the likelihood of objects and tracking people indoors in general and, more
injuries and reduce property damage when disasters strike. In speci cally, within hospitals and other care-providing institutions.
particular, each device (or application) selects its action (or response Several field trials are being conducted to assess the functionality
instructions) in response to an alert based not only on the type and and usability of these applications. The test sites include National
parameters of the alert but also on attributes of the building, interior Taiwan University Hospital Taipei and Yunlin Branch (BOT in ER and
layout and objects surrounding the device (or application). Our work patient wards, and WPIN in areas visited by outpatients). Other test
has demonstrated that easily customizable and maintained active sites include Changhua Christian Hospital, Taipei City Hall and Yunlin
smart devices/applications for diverse purposes can be built on a Veterans Home.
common architectural framework from reusable components, and V. Collaborative Data Projects
alert messages can be pushed asynchronously over the Internet We are working on tools, systems, and services for collaborative data
to meet end-to-end delay requirements of time-critical alerts. Our production, access, and preservation. Resource-constrained research
experimentation with a prototype active emergency response projects often rely on third-party services for on-going data sharing
system in an office building during a simulated strong earthquake and archiving. Such practices may not work well when the project
demonstrated the effectiveness of such systems. As a step towards involves a large number of collaborators participating in a fluid
enabling pervasive use of active devices and applications, a proof- modality. For example, thousands of people may participate in citizen
of-concept prototype building/environment data and information science projects. Below, we present a few collaborative data projects
system (or BeDIS) was built as a part of the ICT infrastructure needed we are undertaking jointly with other research units (both within and
to support location-specific, active emergency preparedness and beyond Academia Sinica), with IIS taking a leading role.
response within large public buildings. depositar (Research Data Repositories for All): depositar (https://data.
IV. Indoor Location-based Applications and Services depositar.io/) is a research data repository built upon CKAN, a free
Since the DRBoaST project ended in December 2018, we have software package for publishing open data. We have added several
been focusing on transforming the BeDIS prototype into a ready- extensions to it, including: 1) rich metadata support; 2) spatiotemporal
for-deployment platform. BeDIS is a system of Lbeacons (location annotation and query; 3) preview and overlay of spatial datasets; 4)
beacons). Lbeacons are Bluetooth Low Energy devices with Wikidata-powered keyword; and 5) open registration for all. These
directional antennas that are installed throughout a building. Under services are frequently used for active research data management.
normal conditions, each Lbeacon broadcasts its own locally stored 3D The source code and user manual of depositar are freely available. We
coordinates and a brief location description, which enables hundreds are also working with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
to thousands of people in the building to locate themselves using to develop research data management policies and guidelines for
their mobile phones and navigate amidst a dense crowd and moving research projects supported by MOST grants.
objects. Each Lbeacon also collects and timestamps MAC addresses Taiwan Roadkill Observation Network (TaiRON): TaiRON (https://
of Bluetooth tags carried by objects of interest such as valuable roadkill.tw/) is a collaborative project to collect (by smartphone)
equipment, essential tools, and people requiring special care, photo observations of roadkill and other animal mortality in Taiwan.
amongst other targets. This capability enables BeDIS to locate these It was started by the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute in
people/objects and track their movements in real-time with nominal 2011, initially by using a Facebook Group for data collection. We
response time of 2-3 seconds. Location accuracy of 3-5 m or 6-10 m redesigned the data work ow so that participants rst upload their
is achieved by adjusting the ranges and beam widths of directional observation records to a dedicated project website. The website then
antennas used on Lbeacons. generates digests of the records and relays them to the Facebook
BeDIS is unique among competing platforms by being both an Group for species identi cation and community interaction. The new
infrastructure for indoor positioning and indoor navigation (IPIN) work ow facilitates better data management and analysis, as well as
applications and a platform for indoor location-based services (ILBS). individual control of observation records. TaiRON datasets have been
Furthermore, BeDIS has several distinct advantages compared to IPS instrumental in monitoring unusual animal deaths in Taiwan, and
(indoor positioning systems) built on competing technologies. For in designing new measures to reduce roadkill. The project received
instance, location accuracy and response time degrade negligibly a 2019 National Agricultural Science Award in the Sustainable
in the presence of large crowds, and it is easy to configure and Environment category. TaiRON currently has more than 5,000 active
inexpensive to deploy and maintain. Moreover, Lbeacons can participants.
be easily configured to act as a micro data server and used in an The Sunflower Movement Archive: This public archive (http://
extended BeDIS that supports active disaster preparedness and public.318.io/) is a collection of artifacts, images, and videos from
responses. When triggered by a disaster/emergency alert from the 2014 Sunflower Movement. Most of the material was acquired
responsible government agencies or the building safety system, an by Academia Sinica when the students and activists were vacating
extended BeDIS functions as a micro data server to deliver location- the occupied chamber of Taiwan’s Legislature. The archive permits
and situation-specific emergency response instructions to people anyone to search and identify objects in the collection, and it makes
and decision-support data to active devices and applications within it possible for owners to release high-resolution images of their
fractions of a second. creations to the public for reuse. The Sun ower Movement signi es a
To date, the following applications and services are ready-for-market: turning point in Taiwan’s recent history, and it continues to in uence
the political landscape and societal re ections of the populace. The
• BeDIS: an infrastructure/platform for IPIN and RT-ILBS applications; entire collection had been transferred to the National Museum of
• WPIN (Waypoint-based indoor navigation) applications with head- Taiwan History, and was featured in a special exhibition on Social
Movements in Post-War Taiwan.
up-display style GUI (graphical user interface) and voice-based
navigation directions on diverse smart phones for general public
and special-purpose navigators to manage outpatient flows
131
Taiwan to collect data on new geo-hazards, enabling assessments of during visits to hospitals and health clinics, thereby minimizing
the risks of earthquake-triggered compound disasters. the total time required by each patient to complete his/her visits;
Another major thrust of our research is directed toward developing and
active smart embedded devices, mobile applications and services/
systems for smart homes and buildings, all of which can automatically • BOT (BeDIS object tracking) and geo-fencing services for locating
process alerts from authorized senders and building safety systems
and take location-specific actions to minimize the likelihood of objects and tracking people indoors in general and, more
injuries and reduce property damage when disasters strike. In speci cally, within hospitals and other care-providing institutions.
particular, each device (or application) selects its action (or response Several field trials are being conducted to assess the functionality
instructions) in response to an alert based not only on the type and and usability of these applications. The test sites include National
parameters of the alert but also on attributes of the building, interior Taiwan University Hospital Taipei and Yunlin Branch (BOT in ER and
layout and objects surrounding the device (or application). Our work patient wards, and WPIN in areas visited by outpatients). Other test
has demonstrated that easily customizable and maintained active sites include Changhua Christian Hospital, Taipei City Hall and Yunlin
smart devices/applications for diverse purposes can be built on a Veterans Home.
common architectural framework from reusable components, and V. Collaborative Data Projects
alert messages can be pushed asynchronously over the Internet We are working on tools, systems, and services for collaborative data
to meet end-to-end delay requirements of time-critical alerts. Our production, access, and preservation. Resource-constrained research
experimentation with a prototype active emergency response projects often rely on third-party services for on-going data sharing
system in an office building during a simulated strong earthquake and archiving. Such practices may not work well when the project
demonstrated the effectiveness of such systems. As a step towards involves a large number of collaborators participating in a fluid
enabling pervasive use of active devices and applications, a proof- modality. For example, thousands of people may participate in citizen
of-concept prototype building/environment data and information science projects. Below, we present a few collaborative data projects
system (or BeDIS) was built as a part of the ICT infrastructure needed we are undertaking jointly with other research units (both within and
to support location-specific, active emergency preparedness and beyond Academia Sinica), with IIS taking a leading role.
response within large public buildings. depositar (Research Data Repositories for All): depositar (https://data.
IV. Indoor Location-based Applications and Services depositar.io/) is a research data repository built upon CKAN, a free
Since the DRBoaST project ended in December 2018, we have software package for publishing open data. We have added several
been focusing on transforming the BeDIS prototype into a ready- extensions to it, including: 1) rich metadata support; 2) spatiotemporal
for-deployment platform. BeDIS is a system of Lbeacons (location annotation and query; 3) preview and overlay of spatial datasets; 4)
beacons). Lbeacons are Bluetooth Low Energy devices with Wikidata-powered keyword; and 5) open registration for all. These
directional antennas that are installed throughout a building. Under services are frequently used for active research data management.
normal conditions, each Lbeacon broadcasts its own locally stored 3D The source code and user manual of depositar are freely available. We
coordinates and a brief location description, which enables hundreds are also working with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST)
to thousands of people in the building to locate themselves using to develop research data management policies and guidelines for
their mobile phones and navigate amidst a dense crowd and moving research projects supported by MOST grants.
objects. Each Lbeacon also collects and timestamps MAC addresses Taiwan Roadkill Observation Network (TaiRON): TaiRON (https://
of Bluetooth tags carried by objects of interest such as valuable roadkill.tw/) is a collaborative project to collect (by smartphone)
equipment, essential tools, and people requiring special care, photo observations of roadkill and other animal mortality in Taiwan.
amongst other targets. This capability enables BeDIS to locate these It was started by the Taiwan Endemic Species Research Institute in
people/objects and track their movements in real-time with nominal 2011, initially by using a Facebook Group for data collection. We
response time of 2-3 seconds. Location accuracy of 3-5 m or 6-10 m redesigned the data work ow so that participants rst upload their
is achieved by adjusting the ranges and beam widths of directional observation records to a dedicated project website. The website then
antennas used on Lbeacons. generates digests of the records and relays them to the Facebook
BeDIS is unique among competing platforms by being both an Group for species identi cation and community interaction. The new
infrastructure for indoor positioning and indoor navigation (IPIN) work ow facilitates better data management and analysis, as well as
applications and a platform for indoor location-based services (ILBS). individual control of observation records. TaiRON datasets have been
Furthermore, BeDIS has several distinct advantages compared to IPS instrumental in monitoring unusual animal deaths in Taiwan, and
(indoor positioning systems) built on competing technologies. For in designing new measures to reduce roadkill. The project received
instance, location accuracy and response time degrade negligibly a 2019 National Agricultural Science Award in the Sustainable
in the presence of large crowds, and it is easy to configure and Environment category. TaiRON currently has more than 5,000 active
inexpensive to deploy and maintain. Moreover, Lbeacons can participants.
be easily configured to act as a micro data server and used in an The Sunflower Movement Archive: This public archive (http://
extended BeDIS that supports active disaster preparedness and public.318.io/) is a collection of artifacts, images, and videos from
responses. When triggered by a disaster/emergency alert from the 2014 Sunflower Movement. Most of the material was acquired
responsible government agencies or the building safety system, an by Academia Sinica when the students and activists were vacating
extended BeDIS functions as a micro data server to deliver location- the occupied chamber of Taiwan’s Legislature. The archive permits
and situation-specific emergency response instructions to people anyone to search and identify objects in the collection, and it makes
and decision-support data to active devices and applications within it possible for owners to release high-resolution images of their
fractions of a second. creations to the public for reuse. The Sun ower Movement signi es a
To date, the following applications and services are ready-for-market: turning point in Taiwan’s recent history, and it continues to in uence
the political landscape and societal re ections of the populace. The
• BeDIS: an infrastructure/platform for IPIN and RT-ILBS applications; entire collection had been transferred to the National Museum of
• WPIN (Waypoint-based indoor navigation) applications with head- Taiwan History, and was featured in a special exhibition on Social
Movements in Post-War Taiwan.
up-display style GUI (graphical user interface) and voice-based
navigation directions on diverse smart phones for general public
and special-purpose navigators to manage outpatient flows
131
