Description

This is a data collection app designed to collect sensor data from invited volunteers for academic research. The app collects barometer and accelerometer sensor data. It also scans for Bluetooth signals emitted by beacons (manufactured by Kontakt), stores them in internal storage, and uploads the data to the cloud frequently when connected to Wi-Fi. The app is designed to collect continuous long term sensor data to be used to understand mobility, co-presence, and space use of a specific population under the research study.

Privacy statement

All private information and data collected using this app will be kept anonymous, and no identifiable information is collected. This application is only intended for the volunteer population recruited by Advanced Architecture Lab (AAL) of Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore. The team behind the data collection has earned the certification by Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) for the program Social & Behavioural Research to understand research ethics. The project ‘Vertical Cities: Complex Emergent Patterns of Movement and Space Use in High‐Density Urban Contexts’ is authorized and governed by the privacy and ethics policy of SUTD’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) under the application number - IRB‐20‐00353.

SUTD Vertical Cities – Data Collection is a data collection app designed to collect sensor data from invited volunteers for academic research. The app collects barometer and accelerometer sensor data. It also scans for Bluetooth signals emitted by beacons (manufactured by Kontakt), stores them in internal storage, and uploads the data to the cloud frequently when connected to Wi-Fi.

Personal and Sensitive Information:

• Location permission: access to location in the background is necessary for the app to collect data (Bluetooth scans) in all conditions – even when the app is not in use.
• Storage permission: access to storage is important for the app to create a folder and store the sensor data collected (barometer, accelerometer, and Bluetooth scans).

Consent: By giving consent to the in-app disclosure when entering the app, you agree to allow the app permission displayed to be used for an uninterrupted data collection process as long as the app is installed in the mobile.

Data

What kind of data is collected?

• Barometer
• Accelerometer
• Bluetooth scans

How are these sensor data used?

• Barometer data is used to recognize change in elevation, especially during vertical mobility in elevator, escalator, or stairs.
• Accelerometer data is used as proxy for body movements like walking, running, etc.
• Bluetooth scans from the beacons are used to localize the volunteers, and to collect the environmental conditions of the place as sensed by the Bluetooth beacons.

Why are the sensor data collected?

The app is designed to collect continuous long term sensor data to be used to understand mobility, co-presence, and space use of a specific population under the research study. The insights derived from these data are used to improve urban planning and design.

Privacy

Any privacy issues?

• No identifiable information is collected. Data will be collected and stored under anonymous ID.
• No GPS location data is collected. Location permission is used to access Bluetooth scanning only.

Where is the data stored?

The collected sensor data is stored in the internal storage temporarily and it is uploaded to the cloud server maintained by AAL, SUTD when connected to Wi-Fi.

Who is handling the data?

The team behind the work are qualified and educated under the CITI Programme Social & Behavioural Research (Team member Certification: https://www.citiprogram.org/verify/?k4b100df3-daf2-4f26-99dc-497e42e94d6e-38055189) to handle the sensitive nature of the data. The project ‘Vertical Cities: Complex Emergent Patterns of Movement and Space Use in High‐Density Urban Contexts’ is authorized and governed by the privacy and ethics policy of SUTD’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) under the application number - IRB‐20‐00353.

Team

Team behind the app:

SUTD Vertical Cities project is a multi-disciplinary collaboration between academic and government agencies looking to improve the design of future cities. The app is developed by Techfidelite Solutions Pvt. Ltd under contract from Advanced Architecture Lab (AAL) in Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Singapore. This project is funded under the “Complexity Science for Urban Solutions Pilot Funding Programme”, funded by the Ministry of National Development (MND) Singapore Research Funds and in collaboration with MND Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and Housing Development Board (HDB) of Singapore.

Contact

The controller for your personal information and data is SUTD. We can be contacted at sutdverticalcities@gmail.com or benny_chin@sutd.edu.sg.