SiNuNi written in Inuit

SiNuNi (2011-2013)

SiNuNi is a robust open hardware sensor network and communication system, developed by the Arctic Perspective Initiative and the Systemics Lab from 2010. The name is a acronym for ‘SILAMILU NUNAMULU NIPILIURUTI’, which means ‘Climate and Land Recording Device’ in Inuit. It is an extremely low power, compact, modular and waterproof computing and recording family of devices, based on the Arduino architectures implementing a true mesh networking capability through low power radio and precise geolocation. Its modular sensor architecture records basic meteorological readings, position and movement data, but it can be outfitted with an array of sensors as diverse as water turbidity/temperature, salinity, gas measurements etc. The system enables instant review in the field and its mesh architecture enables seamless transfer of data and network bridging between the different units without any specific inputs from the users, leaving them free to concentrate on the work on the land.

I worked on this project from 2011 to 2013. Based on the previous works, my colleague Muhammed Hafiz Ron Wosli and I developed the final prototype and the first iteration of SiNuNi. This included addition of full mesh networking capabilities and making the system robust. Since the system was designed to operate in the Arctic, we were constrained by multiple factors, such as extreme temperatures and lack of power. By using low-power RF devices such as XBee and utilizing mesh protocols such as Digimesh, we were able to create a device that could withstand extreme environment. These devices were then tested on the arctic field of Finland, where we did our residency from Ars Bioartica.

SiNuNi was designed to be a robust, modular sensor network, which was perfect for many DYI sensor network systems. We gave two workshops on the subject: Time’s Up(Austria, 2012) and Ars Bioartica(Finland, 2012)

Prototype v3.0

SiNuNi v1.0

Low-power Vacuum Fluorescent Display