Mariner Report Application (MARApp): Crowdsourcing Maritime Weather Conditions

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: During Phase I, Metron designed and implemented an efficient, scalable, end-to-end prototype system for collecting, storing, and viewing mariner weather observations: the Mariner Report App (MARApp). The MARApp Client is a mobile application that transforms smartphones and tablets at sea into forward geospatial/environmental sensors. It can take weather measurements from sensors built into a mobile device, external sensors connected via Bluetooth, or manual input by the user. The Client transmits time-stamped, geo-located weather reports in real time to the cloud-based MARApp Server, which stores the reports and provides an interface to view and export aggregated weather data from a browser on any web-enabled device. In Phase II, Metron will make significant additions and enhancements to the MARApp prototype to: - Support the iOS operating system; - Integrate with multiple external weather data sources via Bluetooth; - Provide enhanced reporting, alerts, filtering, and visualization capabilities; - Implement industry-standard security; and - Integrate with social media. In addition, Metron will develop and begin executing a comprehensive commercialization plan for continued enhancement and sustainment of MARApp in the years to come.SUMMARY OF ANTICIPATED RESULTS: At the end of Phase II, Metron will deliver a robust, intuitive, and secure end-to-end capability for marine weather reporting, data aggregation and fusion, customized alerts, and environmental model validation that will greatly improve mariner safety in coastal and inland water areas. Metron will release a fully functional version of MARApp to the maritime community for everyday use, accessible via a dedicated website and the Android and Apple App Stores.