Open-source instruments for change: Public safety, self-advocacy, and equity in rural communities
Department
Chemistry
Location
Bethel University
Document Type
Poster
Start Date
2-25-2026 3:00 PM
End Date
2-25-2026 5:00 PM
Abstract
Globally, our most rural communities are often among the most economically depressed and marginalized, while simultaneously being positioned on the frontline of the battle against irreversible habitat destruction, species extinction, and climate change. These factors, along with the vast and ever-expanding capabilities of at-home maker spaces and the availability of sophisticated electronics at never-before-seen prices, have produced a nexus in the potential wide-spread usefulness of open-source technologies, pollution monitoring, and public safety. A successful system for these purposes must be home-buildable, cheap, and operate off grid while being capable of transmitting data over long distances, through thick vegetation, or over steep terrain. To be useful for public safety applications, it must also provide data to community stakeholders and scientists alike in real-time around the globe. A Science Station, utilizing a local Raspberry Pi server connected to an array of sensors over Bluetooth, WiFi, and the public radio frequency band, has been developed to meet these requirements and is undergoing testing. The Science Station will be demonstrated and challenges related to system development and long-term sustainability will be discussed.
Recommended Citation
Winters, Brandon J., "Open-source instruments for change: Public safety, self-advocacy, and equity in rural communities" (2026). Wednesday, February 25, 2026. 6.
https://spark.bethel.edu/dayofscholarship/spring2026/spr2026/6
Terms of Use and License Information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Open-source instruments for change: Public safety, self-advocacy, and equity in rural communities
Bethel University
Globally, our most rural communities are often among the most economically depressed and marginalized, while simultaneously being positioned on the frontline of the battle against irreversible habitat destruction, species extinction, and climate change. These factors, along with the vast and ever-expanding capabilities of at-home maker spaces and the availability of sophisticated electronics at never-before-seen prices, have produced a nexus in the potential wide-spread usefulness of open-source technologies, pollution monitoring, and public safety. A successful system for these purposes must be home-buildable, cheap, and operate off grid while being capable of transmitting data over long distances, through thick vegetation, or over steep terrain. To be useful for public safety applications, it must also provide data to community stakeholders and scientists alike in real-time around the globe. A Science Station, utilizing a local Raspberry Pi server connected to an array of sensors over Bluetooth, WiFi, and the public radio frequency band, has been developed to meet these requirements and is undergoing testing. The Science Station will be demonstrated and challenges related to system development and long-term sustainability will be discussed.