STAplus Connector

About the tool

CitiObs is committed to using open data standards to make citizen-generated environmental data more accessible, reliable, and reusable. To support this, CitiObs adopts the OGC SensorThings API with an enhanced extension called STAplus, developed by project partners SECD and CREAF. STAplus helps group sensor observations in meaningful ways, ensures traceability and credit for contributions, and respects licensing and privacy from the ground up.

STAplus harmonizes how Citizen Observatories access and share data, using well-defined semantics so that information can be filtered by criteria like contributor, license, and more. It also enables users to receive updates when new data is available, enhancing collaboration and visibility.

This improved data infrastructure empowers citizen observatories across several levels:

• Level 1: Supports the use of low-cost sensors and wearables in communities.
• Level 2a: Improves data access and interoperability across observatories.
• Level 2b: Supports standardized data quality and validation tools.
• Level 3: Enables integration with European research infrastructures.
• Level 4: Helps generate decision-ready information that can be used by both citizen groups and public authorities.

By supporting open, interoperable, and privacy-conscious data ecosystems, CitiObs ensures that citizen science can contribute meaningfully to environmental knowledge and policy. Where local infrastructure is lacking, data will be securely stored in the iFLINK open sensor database, fully compatible with STAplus standards.

CitiObs also emphasizes privacy by design and by default, including support for Self-Sovereign Identifiers (SSI) to give citizens control over their data. These standards are key to achieving FAIR data (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) in alignment with global efforts like GEOSS, INSPIRE, and Copernicus.

Explore the tool:

STAplus Standard​: https://docs.ogc.org/is/22-022r1/22-022r1.html ​

SensorThings API Implementation (FROST-Server): https://github.com/FraunhoferIOSB/FROST-Server

STAplus Plugin for FROST-Server: https://github.com/securedimensions/FROST-Server-PLUS

Demonstration deployment (for development support)​: https://citiobs.demo.secure-dimensions.de/staplus/v1.1

TAPIS Web Application Viewer: https://www.tapis.grumets.cat/

STAplus in Environmental Monitoring Toolkit: https://monitoring.toolkit.citiobs.eu/