The Data Explorer provides an overview of the sensor data collected in the Botanical Gardens. It allows you to view and compare the different sensors’ values collected daily.
Within the Botanical Gardens there are various sensors that measure different wavelengths of light and light intensity of some light spectra, as well as sensors for temperature, humidity, and pressure. The values of red, green, and blue light intensity are measured in lux. The 10 nm wavelengths are only relative to one-another and not calibrated. The temperature is measured in Celsius, the humidity is measured in % of relative humidity, and the pressure is measured in hectopascal (hPa). The colors in the graphs correspond to the sensor type, where possible.
You may see gaps in data throughout a day, or even for an entire day. This is when disruptions occur in the IoT network or sensors go offline. As an experimental project, we wanted to be transparent about the difficulties of collecting data.
HOW TO USE THE DATA EXPLORER
Use the date picker to select the date that you want to explore. The first date you can select is the 1st of August 2023. The last date we have data for should be yesterday (assuming no disruptions in data collection or website updates!). You can use the map below the explorer to view the (approximate) sensor locations.
The slider next to the date picker allows to set how slow or fast the animation of the data runs. The default setting shows one data point for each sensor every second. Each new data point shows the sensor data after 20 minutes of the day have passed.
On the right side in the graph you see the labels for all the sensors that were online that day. Clicking once on a label hides that line from the graph. Clicking again brings the data line back. Double clicking a label hides all other sensors, double clicking once more shows all other sensors again.
Sensor Locations
The “10-Channel Light Sensors” 1 and 2 collect the data represented under the keywords “__nm Light Sensor” as well as “Near Infrared Light Sensor”.
The “Lux Light Sensors” 1 and 2 collect the data represented under the keywords “Lux Sensor” as well as “Infrared Sensor”.
Glossary
Lux
Lux measures illuminance or illumination. It is defined as one lumen per square meter. This unit describes how much of the light emitted (lumens) is distributed over a given area. It’s a measure of the “intensity” of light on a surface. One lux is equal to one lumen per square meter. For example, if the same 800-lumen light bulb illuminates a surface area of one square meter, that surface is illuminated at 800 lux. If the same light bulb illuminates 2 square meters, the illumination is 400 lux.
Pascal
A Pascal (Pa) is a unit of pressure in the International System of Units (SI). It measures the force per unit area exerted on a surface. Specifically, one Pascal is defined as one newton of force applied over an area of one square meter. The Pascal is a relatively small unit of pressure, which makes it suitable for use in scientific and technical contexts where precision is important. Because of its smaller size, larger units such as hectopascal (hPa), kilopascal (kPa), megapascal (MPa), and gigapascal (GPa) are often used for higher pressures.