Visualising Time Series Data with Open Source Components

This presentation will show how several Open Source components can be combined to build powerful Sensor Web clients. More specifically this talk will focus on clients for the OGC Sensor Observation Service, a standardised web service interface for accessing observations and measurements generated by sensors and sensor networks.

The functionality of the client that will be introduced is focused on the display of time series data. This comprises especially a diagram view which offers comfortable navigation mechanisms (e.g. an overview time series, panning, zooming, etc.). In addition a table view showing all measured values belonging to a user selected time period and a map overview for displaying the sensor locations are included in the client. This display functionality is complemented by further features like an export function (CSV, XLS and PDF export) and comfortable menus that help users to select the data they are interested in.

The development of the client is based on the Google Web Toolkit together with the SmartGWT framework. In order to achieve the broad range of functionality of the client, several Open Source components are used, including JFreeChart (for generating diagrams), Gimv (for diagram interaction and navigation), OpenLayers (for providing a map view of the sensor locations) and the 52°North OX-Framework (for encapsulating the interaction with Sensor Web services).

Finally, this presentation will show how this client, which is available as Open Source software via 52°North, can be used in practical applications like meteorology and hydrology.