Advancing understanding of climate change and ecological vulnerability requires new talent and new tools. The Oregon State University Openly Published Environmental Sensing (OPEnS) Laboratory, founded in 2015, works to enpower talented undergraduate students with challenging opportunities as they address their personal values through innovation in Earth sensing systems. OPEnS’ overarching goal is to develop sensing technologies addressing critical environmental challenges, advancing both scientific discovery and technological innovation. OPEnS inventions leverage novel microelectronic sensors, three-dimensional printed components, embedded microprocessors, parametric system design, wireless telemetry and cloud-based data delivery. A key area for development is what we refer to as ‘Born FAIR’ data systems (sensor-embedded code so data are Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) where sensor data are fully contextualized by metadata collected at installation. OPEnS interweaves technological progress with educational opportunities seeking to develop the next generation of sensor systems and their engineers. Despite openly published designs, most users of OPEnS technology do not wish to make their own gear, and thus OPEnS is increasingly engaging industrial partners. OPEnS has shown that direct connections between scientific clients, teams of engineering students, industrial collaborators, national labs and international partners advance scientific discovery and technological innovation. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue ‘Hydrology in the 21st century: challenges in science, to policy and practice’.
Selker et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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