The Geosensor Networks Lab, University of Maine

03/23/2026

The Maine Mesonet is a new $3.5+ million University of Maine initiative establishing a network of 26+ high-precision, solar-powered weather stations across all 16 counties. Developed by the UMaine Extension and managed by the Maine Climate Office, it provides real-time atmospheric, surface, and soil data to improve local forecasts for agriculture and forestry

11/26/2025

https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/08/19/1057848/array-of-things-goes-global/

The Array of Things has now become an open-source resource for atmospheric monitoring, earthquake sensing, and a range of other applications.

11/21/2025

Japan may have just delivered one of the biggest clean-energy breakthroughs of the decade — a matchbox-sized generator that produces electricity nonstop using nothing but humidity in the air. No sunlight, no wind, no flowing water… just moisture. This tiny device could unlock continuous, clean power anywhere on Earth, even in remote regions with no infrastructure.

The technology is powered by a cutting-edge nanomaterial that absorbs moisture and converts it directly into a steady electric current. Unlike solar panels that need daylight or turbines that depend on movement, this generator works 24/7, silently, with zero pollution and no moving parts.

Its simplicity is the real revolution: small, affordable, endlessly repeatable. Experts believe it could transform disaster response, off-grid living, emergency equipment, wearable tech, and rural electrification. Imagine entire villages powered by devices small enough to slip into your pocket — all without burning a single drop of fuel.

Japan’s invention is more than an energy innovation. It’s proof that massive power can come from microscopic engineering. If scaled globally, it could redefine how humanity produces electricity in a carbon free future.

11/08/2025

That time researchers from the University of Sheffield conducted a fascinating experiment to test how ants solve complex problems together.

They placed hundreds of ants in a maze with barriers and obstacles, marked by a red structure, to study how they would find a path to food.

At first, the ants wandered in all directions, but soon they began to cooperate, marking successful routes with pheromones. Over time, the colony collectively optimized the path, proving their remarkable ability to adapt and share information. The study highlighted how ants display a form of group intelligence often compared to early computer algorithms.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQvEUgBj812/

10/25/2025

Decentralized coordination at UMaine homecoming this year.

(Unfortunately, today's drone networks are still traditionally programmed).

Grizzly Entertainment will hold another drone light show Saturday at 5:50 p.m. at Alfond Stadium.

05/09/2025

https://www.science.org/content/article/how-i-learned-teach-scientist

Recently retired, this professor emeritus reflects on how she challenged students to think beyond facts

03/27/2025

The jumping and perching robot..

Engineers have designed robots that crawl, swim, fly and even slither like a snake, but no robot can hold a candle to a squirrel, which can parkour through a...

03/19/2025

Environmental sensor networks..

A new study using the largest network of microphones to track birds in the United States is providing crucial insights for managing and restoring fire-prone forests across California’s Sierra Nevada region.

The research, published March 11 in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, demonstrates how emerging bioacoustics technology can enhance wildlife monitoring and forest management.

The study, led by researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics and the University of Wisconsin, analyzed more than 700,000 hours of audio recordings from more than 1,600 sites spanning approximately 6 million acres of Sierra Nevada forest.

“The amount of coverage allows us to draw really powerful inferences about what’s happening with species across many different locations,” said lead author Kristin Brunk, a postdoctoral research associate at the Yang Center.

Read more at https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/03/acoustic-monitoring-network-birds-enhances-forest-management.

03/17/2025

This fall I will teach a section of SIE559 Geosensor Networks at UM. An online option is available.

Dr. Silvia Nittel, Spatial Informatics, School of Computing and Information Science, University of Maine SIE559 Geosensor Networks Fall 2025, Mon-Wed 2PM – 3:15 PM Silvia Nittel Course Description: In the last 15 years, several technology trends have influenced the field of geosciences in signific...

11/18/2024

some are quite interesting.

OpenAI's o1 hits 83% on AIME math tests, logical qubits break quantum records, and CRISPR therapies emerge. Inside 2024's R&D milestones.

11/08/2024