Apps Happening
ESA’s fourth Space App Camp starts on Monday, with 23 professional app developers from all across Europe at the Agency's facility in Frascati, Italy.
Huge amounts of data from space – the kind produced by the European Earth observation Copernicus programme and its Sentinel satellites – offer countless opportunities for global challenges, in connection with mobile applications.
The Space App Camp unites programmers to develop creative and innovative smartphone apps, which make Earth observation data accessible to a wide range of people. ESA will provide access to satellite data for developing mobile applications (Android and iOS). The goal is to bring Earth observation data – particularly coming from the European Copernicus environment-monitoring programme – to the everyday user through smartphones.
During the week-long camp, attendees will be asked to find creative answers to global problems. Working in teams, they will be tasked with developing apps and business models for one of five subject areas: agriculture, emergency and rescue management, environmental protection, marine environments and maritime transportation, or lifestyle and tourism.
Participants will learn about the many ways in which to use satellite data for mobile apps, make contacts all over Europe, and gain insights into how ESA operates.
After a week of intense work, teams will present their app to the other participants and a jury nominated by ESA, on the final day. The winners will be rewarded with a cash prize of €2500.
Last year’s winners were the developers of the WaterSense app. They proposed the use of satellite data on water availability and soil moisture to assist farmers with irrigation.
