Grace Hills Graduation Year: Sophomore College: Arts & Letters Major(s): Psychology Minors(s): Business Economics Scholar Group Membership: NA

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1 Grace Hills Graduation Year: Sophomore College: Arts & Letters Major(s): Psychology Minors(s): Business Economics Scholar Group Membership: NA Did you received other funding for this project?: no Could you have completed this project without CUSE funding? No More details on CUSE funding assistance? Project Title: Study of Psychological Impact of Sensor Technology of Dublin Citizens Project Location: Dublin, Ireland ND Faculty Mentor: Anré Venter Project Type: Research Why did you undertake this project/experience? Deepen your knowledge of a topic or issue, Career discernment and/or preparation, Internationalize your Notre Dame experience Did your funded experience help you: [Deepen your understanding of your coursework or field of study]: Very Much [Discern your interests and post-bac goals]: Very Much [Become confident in your ability to set and achieve your goals]: Very Much [Gain a more nuanced view of local, national, or global communities]: Very Much [Improve your written and verbal communications skills]:yes Tell us about your experience. I traveled to Dublin, Ireland with fellow Notre Dame students Margaret Crawford and Jennifer Flanagan to research the implementation of Smart City technology within the city. The worldwide discussion of sensor technology and smart cities is rapidly becoming more prevalent as cities such as Barcelona, Copenhagen, Chicago, San Jose, London and Dublin take the lead. The goal of my research team was to learn through face-to-face meetings with Dublin s leading researchers and the smart city coordinator at Dublin City Council about current projects and future plans. Most importantly, we gained invaluable perspective by hearing the opinions of the experts about what works, what is ineffective, and the biggest questions and challenges in smart city development. As a psychology student, I entered the project with some skepticism about the extent to which sensor technology research would apply to my field of study. As the trip went on, I learned that a psychologist s role in the implementation of Smart City technology and the general development of IT not only important, but essential, as the critical issue in big data is rapidly turning from technology development to citizen engagement and visual representation of information to change human behavior. Dr. Anne Holohan, Trinity College professor of sociology, spoke with me about her work in looking at individual use of technology. A growing

2 issue of the 21st century is empowering people through network individualism: protecting citizens from negative effects of big data. She looks at privacy, sharing and digital identity, all issues that arise in the context of smart cities. As I would later learn from a conversation David Prenderghast, head researcher for Intel on Dublin as a Smart City, companies such as EE, Europe s leading cell provider, have access to everything from a person s exact location to what websites they access. From Dr. Holohan s perspective, the ability to access this big data can be detrimental to citizens, such as Starbucks workers who lose hours when their supervisors use data to save money when scheduling. Questions of citizen protection are vitally important to address, and speaking with Dr. Holohan revealed the opportunities on that front. From conversations with Rob Kitchin, a researcher at Maynooth University involved in the urban rather than technological side of Smart Dublin planning, as well as David Prenderghast and Dublin City Council s Jamie Cudden, I received a more accurate picture of what Smart City technology is actually present and implemented in Dublin. Preliminary research had not provided a full picture; our conversations with people at the helm of these projects revealed that journalists had embellished. Of the 200 sensor gateways supposedly scattered throughout the city, only about 20 are in place. A lot of the projects being discussed are actually very futuristic and barely in early stages, such as smart lighting, smart grid, and ideas about using sensors to reduce traffic congestion. A similar situation exists in many cities, such as Chicago; companies like Intel and IBM use cities as test beds for new technologies. The problem with this system is twofold for a city like Dublin. One issue is that instead of waiting and allowing companies to compete for the city as a client, Dublin essentially gets whatever technology is handed to them. Additionally, the myriad of new test technologies being introduced into cities is not necessarily well connected. A new smart city is thus faced with creating lines of communication between systems. Dublin remains a leading smart city, as demonstrated by some major projects. The Traffic Control Room, as explained to us by Kitchin and Cudden, is a sophisticated Information Communication Technologies (ICT) project that coordinates all the city s traffic and transportation sensors. The control room collects information from all induction loop sensors, which are fairly simple sensors embedded under the road that tell when a car passes over, thus providing real time data about traffic patterns and congestion. From this data, apps like Hit the Road, which provides citizens with at least 5 potential routes, can help drivers, bikers and pedestrians avoid hassle. Dr. Melanie Bouroche, researcher at Trinity s Future Cities Centre, touched on the traffic issue in Dublin. She says that with all this information about traffic patterns, we must now move forward to change driver behavior. According to Bouroche, most of congestion is due to inefficient driving, and if only 20% of drivers change their habits to be more efficient, the congestion problem can be drastically reduced. With (?) number of people expected to live in cities by whatever year, these small changes in citizen behavior are essential. The question being asked by each researcher we talked to remains: how do we best display this information to citizens, and how do we influence their behavior to make positive changes? Most recently, Bouroche has been developing Floodwatch to aid with flood management, one of

3 the more relevant, current issues being addressed with sensor technology. (While sensors can provide information on nearly all aspects of urban development and environmental factors, implementation must follow challenges specific to each city.) Floodwatch is an app that combines data from sensors with photos reported by users to respond immediately to areas that need help. Bouroche found that the app needed to be more generic (something like Citywatch ) to get citizens to post on it on a regular basis, so there was incentive for them to download it for everyday use as well and make it more likely to be used in the case of emergency. One of my original research questions was whether or not citizens were aware of the sensors and the city s initiatives, and if they are aware, how do they feel? It became very clear to me that awareness is very low. Sensors are practically undetectable on the streets of Dublin, and the government and private industry are only beginning to make the public aware. In fact, the government is still in the process of researching and distinguishing how much information will be released to the general public at all. Web sites do exist, however, with real time data on weather, traffic, parking spaces available, boat traffic and sound level (smartdublin.ie and Dublin Dashboard), but this is not unique to Dublin. I am very interested to see how the situation of information sharing and citizen protection in the face of big data progresses in Dublin as well as in other cities worldwide. I plan to follow up with the researchers and officials with whom I have spoken as time passes. Additionally, I look forward to applying this research to and comparing with the South Bend area, which faces similar challenges on a smaller scale. The trip provided some opportunities to experience the city of Dublin and some neighboring towns outside of our sensor research as well. I enjoyed visiting Phoenix Park and traveling to the seaside town of Howth to do some hiking on the beautiful cliffs overlooking the Atlantic. I also enjoyed seeing Maynooth University and Trinity College and comparing the lifestyle to mine at Notre Dame. We met with some Notre Dame students studying abroad in Dublin who shared their experiences with us. This research project provided me with a new way of exploring a city outside of usual tourism and helped me to appreciate Dublin in a very unique and fulfilling way. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to travel and to learn about myself and a new place while enjoying the company of colleagues and meeting people from around the world. Describe the impact this project had, both on you as a student-scholar and on the people you worked with. The expected impact is not on Dublin citizens, but rather on government officials in South Bend, IN who could benefit from information on smart city initiatives in Dublin. I now understand the perspectives of the project s leading researchers and the coordinator at Dublin City Council, so that I could advise the Office of Innovations working on similar projects in South Bend. As a student-scholar, I have gained incredible insights into the impacts of revolutionary technology on a city, both practical and psychological. After this trip, I have an enhanced understanding of the issues surrounding real time data and big data: policies and protocol regarding privacy and respect of the citizen has to catch up to the latest innovations. David Prenderghast dubbed this the most important discourse of the 21st century. As a psychology student, I am interested to see how people are affected as more and more aspects of their lives

4 are under surveillance. I had hoped to study those effects on this trip, but the projects are too recent and hidden from the public to understand this fully. A follow up every few months to see how the public perspective changes would be very interesting and informative. As a citizen of Washington, D.C., a modern city with a rapidly growing population, I hope to see changes in the worldwide smart city strategy. As emigration to cities continues to rise, the problem become more urgent. I immensely enjoyed discovering a new place by experiencing the city personally and speaking face to face with experts to conduct my research. I learned how journalism and websites could have false or embellished information, either intentionally or due to misinformation. This trip has allowed me the opportunity to synthesize my own research done from Notre Dame s campus with all that I learned at Trinity College, Maynooth University, Intel and Dublin City Council. Describe how this experience is connected to your plans as a student or future professional. I plan to study psychology in graduate school, though I have not yet discerned in what specific area. This research experience has affirmed my affinity for the study of the mind and behavior that psychology provides. The study of citizen interaction with technology is mainly behavioral and social psychology. Through my research I learned the importance of social science researchers such as psychologists in IT and IoT (internet of things) usage. I am interested in continuing this research on a broader scale, applying it to Barcelona, Copenhagan and/or Washington, D.C. This would lead to a senior thesis including a much more extensive analysis of the situations in each city and the progress that occurs over the three years I am a Notre Dame student. I would continue my current research method of discussion with experts in the field, but would also want to get IRB approval to collect data from every day citizens that can be used in a report. Even if this doesn't expand into a larger research project, I will remain personally interested in smart city development. I also believe that this experience has given me deep insight into the process of research and shown me that I enjoy research that involves real world experience rather than laboratory experiments. I am very far from understanding what I want my future career to be, but I have more insight into the aspects of psychology I enjoy. I enjoyed the social psychology aspect as I saw the importance in understanding how authorities work to change societal behavior and manipulate perception in order to increase efficiency and safety in a city. What advice would you give other students who are planning to pursue similar projects? Independent research prior to the trip itself is very important, as being organized and knowing exactly what needs to be accomplished within the week helps immensely with productivity. That being said, prepare for surprises, cancellations, and general changes in itinerary that often come with travel. While you are conducting research, enjoy the learning that comes, even if it doesn't correspond directly with your exact research question. I came into my project with a very open mind; it is good to have a few very direct, specific questions, but also to think broadly

5 and not just listen for the answers you want to hear. Make time in your itinerary for cultural experiences outside of your exact research question. The value of going abroad also lies in the beauty and uniqueness of your location and the education that comes with stepping outside of your comfort zone and acting independently. I would recommend making the fall break research trip part of a broader, long term project. One week is a lot of time to gain experiences and knowledge, but it is also short in the big scheme, and a fully fleshed out project requires more time. Develop a project that synthesizes research from many places and sources. Do not be afraid to reach out to people, no matter how important and prestigious they may seem. I had the opportunity of speaking with leading researchers at Intel and Trinity College and had a meeting at Dublin City Council in a beautiful conference room overlooking the River Liffey, all because our team was persistent in communicating our ideas. Keep your goals big and don't be afraid; you can accomplish more than you think!