The Geospatial Challenge Camp is now halfway through its 10-week work cycle. Interdisciplinary, international teams of researchers and students, formed during the Challenge Camp, are working hard to solve challenges related to health and well-being. There are four teams in total.
“Two groups are developing solutions related to the location and accessibility of health services. They are co-operating with Varha – The wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland and the City of Helsinki. Accessibility analysis plays a key role in service network planning and is one of the ways in which geospatial information can be used to provide benefits and support for decision-making in the social and health sectors,” says Henrikki Tenkanen, Assistant Professor of Geoinformation Technology at Aalto University.
Tenkanen is one of the Challenge Camp mentors whose research team has many years of experience in accessibility and mobility research.
Tools for urban planning
One of the teams is developing a climate risk assessment tool for urban planning, especially in relation to heat-related risks. Another team is working on a route planning solution for travellers with sensitive sensory needs.
“It is really important to understand who the solutions are being developed for and what value they will bring to their users. This requires real interaction and discussion with users,” says Tenkanen. The users of the solutions can be, for example, design professionals or ordinary citizens. The target audience will have a huge impact on the type of functionality that needs to be implemented in the solution.
Demos in making
The Geospatial Challenge Camp teams have time until the beginning of December to work on the challenges. The aim is not to solve the problems completely, but to demonstrate the potential of geospatial data and technology to inspire decision makers.
“It is now up to the teams to decide which area they will ultimately develop and why. The aim is for each team to create a demo of how the solution would work and be able to demonstrate its value to users,” says Antero Järvi, a lecturer at the University of Turku. Järvi is one of the main mentors at the Challenge Camp and supports the teams, especially in terms of innovations and entrepreneurship.
Come and check out the final results! The Challenge Camp results presentation event will take place on Friday 1 December from 13-16 at Aalto University’s Otaniemi Campus. You can register for the event here.
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