Sensor Model Language (SensorML)

The OGC Sensor Model Language (SensorML) Encoding Standard describes an information model and XML encodings that enable discovery and tasking of Web-resident sensors as well as exploitation of sensor observations. Within this context, SensorML allows the developer to define models and XML Schema for describing any process, including measurement by a sensor system, as well as post-measurement processing. (http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/sensorml)

More specifically, SensorML can:

• Provide descriptions of sensors and sensor systems for inventory management Provide sensor and process information in support of resource and observation discovery;
• Support the processing and analysis of the sensor observations;
• Support the geolocation of observed values (measured data);
• Provide performance characteristics (e.g., accuracy, threshold, etc.);
• Provide an explicit description of the process by which an observation was obtained (i.e., it’s lineage);
• Provide an executable process chain for deriving new data products on demand (i.e., derivable observation);
• Archive fundamental properties and assumptions regarding sensor systems.

Individual SensorML schema describe a specific sensor or an array of sensors and can be stored in a registry.

There are numerous examples of SensorML implementations, such as the NASA MSFC SMART program (http://smartdev.itsc.uah.edu/casestudy/documents/paper_nstc_2007_A1P1.pdf). In this project the team developed a sensor web-enabled processing workflow to intelligently assimilate Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) satellite temperature and moisture retrievals into a regional configuration of the Weather Research and Forecast model over the southeastern United States.

See Also

• Sensor Observation Service (SOS)
• Sensor Planning Service
• Observations and Measurements
• Transducer Markup Language