Public Lab “is a community where you can learn how to investigate environmental concerns” using inexpensive DIY techniques. Their projects range from a DIY near-infrared camera and spectrometer to monitoring a nuclear power plant in Pilgrim, MA. Not only will they have a booth at World Maker Faire New York this year, but they’re also hosting a panel called Open Source Tools for Grassroots Science on Sunday afternoon at the Make: Live stage.
“We’re an open source community that creates both hardware and software tools,” said Shannon Dosemagen, one of Public Lab’s co founders. “We take an approach that is DIY style, allowing us to maintain our low cost approach to creating the tools. We’ve spent the last few years developing methodology around teaching and using the tools that we think will be interesting for people to hear about, try out and potentially replicate in the work process that they use.”
At the panel, they’ll highlight their work from sites across the Northeast region such as aerial mapping the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. According to Shannon, “audience members will walk away with a better understanding of how Public Lab takes tools from the ‘making’ phase and uses them for environmental investigation.”
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