The Internet of Things is already quite large, and continuosly growing. Many devices and appliances in our office and our home are already equipped with an array of sensors. Smartphones are of course the best example: a pocket computer stuffed with sensors that people carry around with them all the time. By connecting all these devices to the internet in a smart and responsible way, we can gather a complete picture of the world.

There are many situations in which data collected by large groups of (anonymous) users can provide an important, comprehensive overview of our world, and the things that are going on in it:

• Create dynamic roadmaps based on routes actually taken, rather than out-of-date maps
• Traffic and congestion reports
• Monitor crowds in (public) buildings, in cities, or at large festivals and events
• Distributed climate and environmental monitoring

Sense Solution
Sense developed CommonSense, a cloud-based platform for collecting, interpreting and sharing sensor data. Users can connect any third-party sensor or sensing device to CommonSense.

Sensor data belongs to the individual user - the owner of the device. But users can decide to share their data, either personally or anonymously. This way, CommonSense can be used to aggregate data from large groups of devices and users.

Feeds that can be used for crowd sensing include:

• Smartphones (Sense Platform app)
• MyriaNed wireless sensor networks
• Any third-party sensor
• GPS-trackers in cars
• Open data feeds