NSF AI grant $1.5M: edge AI and low-cost sensors for community disaster preparedness — a resident-driven data system in Hawaii (S&CC)

The NSF awarded about $1,497,357 to a project using edge AI, biofabrication, and data science for disaster preparedness and community wellbeing (NSF Award 2531574; program: Smart & Connected Communities / IT Research; Hawaii).

Per the abstract, communities in Hawaii and similar remote, rural, and austere regions often face dynamic local conditions affecting public infrastructure and wellbeing. Events such as sudden changes in water quality or air particulates after a disaster pose significant challenges, and effective monitoring requires timely, localized data that is hard to obtain with existing infrastructure.

This Smart and Connected Communities (SCC) project addresses this gap by enabling neighborhoods to become active participants in data collection and analysis of their surroundings. It collaborates with participants across several Hawaii sites to co-design and build novel, low-cost systems for localized data acquisition, featuring customizable sensors fabricated via advanced manufacturing (3D printing) connected to a powerful, portable data-analysis platform (edge AI). By making these tools available to local communities, the project enables rapid, localized responses to unforeseen events and provides valuable data for disaster planning and response. Technically, it aims to develop and integrate three core innovations including a low-cost, open-source electronics printer and a scalable platform.