A new Android app lets smartphone users collect data on space weather patterns.
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Camaliot is now available to download for Android.
© ESA
The European Space Agency ESA released an Android app called Camaliot this week. The application is free and runs on more than 50 smartphone models equipped with dual-frequency satellite receivers.
SETI@Home as a role model
With Camaliot, private users can support scientific projects by using their smartphones to collect satellite data sent by the different global navigation systems GPS, Beidou, Glonass and Galileo. Similar to the SETI@Home project, where users could provide computing power for complex analyzes and the search for extraterrestrial life, Camaliot is also a scientific crowdsourcing project.
ESA evaluates satellite data
After installing the app and logging in, users can put their smartphone in a place with good reception, such as the window sill, in the evening. The mobile phone then collects raw satellite data overnight, which is then forwarded to ESA. The data is evaluated centrally using a machine learning algorithm. In this way, the ESA wants to draw conclusions about the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. This should in turn ensure more accurate weather models in the long term.
Amazon vouchers for attendees
The current project runs until June 30, 2022. Users of the app who create a login have the chance to win several prizes, including a smartphone and Amazon vouchers. It can also be used as a guest without logging in.
