Designing With Web
Part 3 · Prototype Phase

• Amandine BARBEAU: link to part 2 assignment
• Samer EL-HAGE HAMMOUD: link to part 2 assignment
• Rim LAARIF: link to part 2 assignment
• Barthelemy BOUYER: link to part 2 assignment

• Data collection, Mapping & Alerts : Through enabling instantaneous data collection and mapping infested areas for local populations, researchers and any beneficiary who would need real time updates, our project will enable the harmonization and integratation of different data sources and make them available for the different actors.
  How this will work ? The user will take a picture of a specie then either drag and drop the picture or upload it on the application. A classification algorithm will classify it as an IAS or not.
  In the case of the recognition of an IAS, it will provide the user with an identity card. It will provide on the same time, the degree of confidence in the prediction. The user will then be able to see both the identify card of the most probable specie and in smaller size, the other possibilities with the degree of certainty for each prediction.
  A parallel path will be activated in the case of the identification of an IAS : an automated notification will be sent to local associations and researchers who will be informed timely and accurately about the area thanks to geolocation.
• Information & Education : We will empower the users, the local population, to be educated about IAS and their potential harm and share with them relevant updates and information on IAS.
  The application will map the IAS and enable to warn about potential dangers or cautions to take or places to avoid. A predefined color code will categorize the IAS by type : blue = Animal, red = Insect and green = plant. Identity cards and recommendations will be given for each IAS with the associated degree of confidence in the prediction.
• Social engagement & Actions : Here, we will inform citizens on the environmental activities and actions ongoing in their area so that they can become actors at their individual and collective level.

• Geolocate on the map the IAS (in user's area) : When user is going to the beach or already there, he clicks on the map to geolocalize the area he is in and shows all the IAS and warnings in this area in real time (with color code and by class).
• Identification & mapping : Take pictures of animal or vegetal species during your walks and upload them on the platform for identification (information and mapping). Classification is automatized by Artificial intelligence. Mapping is automatized unless there is a degree of doubt for the IAS classification. In this case a human intervention is necessary and this is done through the partnership with Research Institutes and Researchers to confirm the species of IAS. On the same time, the user is redirected toward the classification feature. And he can see the most probable classification of the IAS and the degree of confidence associated. He sees also a special warning with the risks and cautions to take if there are any with this IAS identified.
• Receive an alert (notification): when an IAS is regognized, an alert is automatically transferred to researchers and local associations and to persons who activated this function for their area.
• Stay informed about the IAS : Access identity cards for every IAS by category, with risks and recommendations from professionals. And a section with natural species not to be misidentified with.
• Classify data: the application classifies and compares all the images in its database to give you the most accurate information possible
• Get involved in activities : Provides with an agenda of activities where one can participate voluntarily. Or it provides with the possibility to become a member of an association and if the user is a registered association (approved by a moderator), he has the possibility to fill a form and post upcoming events/activities.
• Consult user profile : Update your profile (picture and information). See your "Guardian grade" : stars are attributed according to the quartile of contributions for a specific user (from 25% : 1 star to 75%: 4 stars)
• Become a member : Create a user profile. Chose between list of users : citizen, association, researcher and other.

The user walks on the beach, he finds an algae but he does not know if it is an IAS or not and if it can be harmful or not. So he takes his smartphone out of his pocket and logs in to our website or application:


• Step 1: He takes a picture of the algae.
• Step 2: The software of the application compares the various photos of its database and proposes the identity card which corresponds.
• Step 3: The user reads the sheet, the risks and the recommendations of behavior to adopt in front of this alga.
• Step 4: The user clicks on the button "report IAS algae".
• Step 5: Information is sent to local associations and researchers.
• Final situation: The contaminated area is marked on the map with a green color code.

List of competitors related to projects :

• Bloomin' Algae: Our competitor is a new application created by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), in partnership with RESAS (Scottish Government), the UK environment agencies and the Health Protection Scotland, to protect his citizen of IAS algae.
  The concept is to allow users to identify algae zones in UK, by sending a record composed by a picture and the type of activity they did (swimming, walking...). The application will verify the picture and use the geolocalization to find the contaminated place. Then it will inform the relevant environment agency, local authority, or landowner, of potential public health risks in the area. In certain cases, the Bloomin’ Algae can provide its own warning sent to local population.
  Bloomin’ Algae aren’t a lot of users yet, but the concept could become popular in the following months.
  
• INaturalist: Our competitor is an application created by National Geographic, in partnership with California Academy of Sciences. It’s an international application, which allows users to take a picture of animals or plants and to have the identity record of each of them. If it is an IAS specie, the user will have the opportunity to send a notification to researchers with the geolocalization.
  This application is popular in a lot of countries and has a lot of famous ambassadors. It proposes other features such as events with biologists, organization of projects/missions, the opportunity to chat with other users and professionals of the environment.
• AGIIR: Our competitor is an application created by INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement). It aims to identify IAS insects thanks to a recognition and image management tool. The user then has access to an identity card with all the information on the species. If it is an IAS, the user can report it via a form that will be sent to researchers.

• Feature 1 (key feature): : Observe & Report IAS : Reporting an occurence of IAS using the user's smartphone camera, and uploading it to the application.
• Feature 2: Identify the IAS species. The application will classify uploaded images using Image recognition technology and comparing users' photos to the existing database of IAS created by the rangers. Users can then see the % likelihood of the corresponding IAS species. If photos have a low match (<60%) for IAS species, then rangers and local associations / activists groups can manually review them to confirm or not the IAS species in question.
• Feature 3: Geolocalize the pictures : Geolocating the area in which the photos are taken, using the app's geolocation feature which will require location to be turned on when the app is opened, and specifically when users upload their pictures, so that rangers can quickly see where alerts where made. Geolocation of reports will also be recorded on a "macro" scale, where individual reports appear as red dots on a digital map of the Forest so that Rangers can prioritize areas with the most reports first.
• Feature 4: Send Alerts to the forest rangers. Once a report has been confirmed (photo has a >60% match for at least 1 IAS species) or manually validated by a ranger / local conservation activist along with a valid geolocation, an alert is sent via push notification to the Forest's Rangers so that they can take appropriate action as quickly as possible to remove the IAS occurence.
• Feature 5: Educate users about IAS : Educational information are available to the users about existing IAS species. Inside the Forest's specific subfolder will be a list of the known IAS species with photos and short text descriptions. Users are encouraged to read up on them as soon as they download our app for the first time. Users will also be warned explicitly not to try to remove the IAS species themselves but to leave this task to the rangers who will know precisely how to deal with them
• Feature 6: Geolocalize and select areas : Choosing the specific forest which the user is visiting. Forest-goers will be prompted with a sign asking them to download our application upon entrance into the forests, and supplied with a QR code linking to the specific US forest, which has its own database regarding the known IAS species that reside in them.
• Feature 7: List IAS : Adding IAS species to the Forest Database. This can only be done by users with "expert" status on the app. At first this is a task reserved for the Forest rangers and local conservationist groups which will have specific credentials, this will make for an initial Forest Database with the most common IAS species identified. Some common users can also obtain this status after having reached a certain threshold of reported IAS species (30+ unique reports). This allows the forest Database to be updated in real-time.
• Feature 8: Reward users for contributions : A reward system for unique reports of IAS species. Users will be rewarded with coupons and discounts at local businesses such as restaurants and supermarkets. Rewards can only be claimed for confirmed cases of IAS species, in which case they will receive points on their user profile that they can later redeem by choosing in the app from a list of options which local business(that the app is partnered with) they want a coupon/discount for
• Feature 9: Register new users. Users are asked to create an account and to choose from "Forest-goer", "Ranger"
• Feature 10: Access to user profile and personalization. Users can freely consult their user profile which will display their personal information, confirmed IAS reports and points earned. They will be classified with different statuses depending on confirmed IAS reports, beginner for <10 reports, spotter between 10 and 30 reports, and expert for over 30 reports

• Initial situation: the user enters the forest, walking casually and sees the sign asking him to download our app. He downloads it then scans the QR code to find the forest inside the app.
• Step 1: He reads the information about the most common IAS species in the forest after having registered his user account.
• Step 2: He sees what he thinks might be one of the IAS species he read about after downloading our app
• Step 3: He opens the app, enables location services and takes a picture of the potential IAS occurence
• Step 4: The app returns the known IAS specie with the highest match (% shown), a photo and short description which the user carefully consults and decides to report after confirming that the IAS corresponds
• Step 5: The IAS is reported, along with the geolocation which appears on the digital map as a red dot. The user is prompted to not interfere with the IAS and leave it to the forest rangers
• Step 6:A congratulatory message pops up, along with the points earned by the report. All of the information is stored on the user's profile who then continues his walk in the forest.
• Final situation: the report appears on the forest's digital map, along with the photo, date of the photo and name of the IAS reported that appear when clicking on the red dot elit

List of competitors related to projects :

• EDD Maps Ontario, website : EDD Maps The project is built around a website and an application with the same scope as ours. It aims to report, observe and track invasive national species over the time. Documentation per category of IAS is also available. An interactive distribution mapp, species information, reporting tools and membership to the project are also implemented. It has already a huge database : 99 291 reports and 426 species declared. But the project is limited to America (Canada and USA) and is developped and owned by The University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health.
• Invasive Alien Species Europe, app : IAS species Europe app , The IAS species Europe app contains detailed information and photos of 37 invasive alien species, plants and animals, makes it possible for citizens to use their phones' GPS system and camera to capture images of them.
• Invasives in Southern Forests, app : Invasives in Southern Forests , This app is based on the U.S. Forest Service publication: A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests.This app provides information on accurate identification of the 56 nonnative plants and groups that are currently invading the forests of the 13 Southern States.