Many a Mickle makes a Cash Cow
An exciting project, a creative idea – if everything but the money in order to realize the idea is there, "crowdfunding" can be a solution. With crowdfunding donations from several people make it possible to put an idea into practice and investors are found via the internet. Scientists have been able to benefit from this principle, which has already been used in Germany's creative industry, since 21st November. The German crowdfunding platform "sciencestarter.de" of the initiative "Science in Dialogue" brings researchers and donors together and scientists from the University of Münster are among the first participants. They are raising money for a geo computer science project on "gesture interaction with space-time data". Project manager Thomas Bartoschek is "science starter of the week".
"Hi. I am Thomas. I would like to present a project to you that we want to make possible with your help." This is how a short film on the internet platform starts. Thomas Bartoschek introduces the research project and explains why he and his team from the Institute for Geoinformatics at Münster University depend on donations: the researchers intend to further develop an interactive globe with virtual maps and controllable computer graphics.
The geo computer scientists are applying a controlling technology which is otherwise used in game consoles: With "Microsoft Kinect" depth sensors, users can interact with a computer through their body movements. With their gestures they can for example zoom in on a certain area on the map, which is displayed on a projection screen, access additional information, or monitor a temporal development of the represented area.
A few months ago, the geo computer scientists presented the technology to a broad audience at the Science Summer 2012 for the first time. Previously the team had been one of three finalists in the nationwide competition "Science Interactive" with the "triangle of sustainability", in which the interactive control system is used. "That's when we noticed that there are still difficulties with some gestures, concerning the usability. To some extent it is hard for users to perform the movements precisely. Other problems are related to body height. For instance, the sensors do not recognize little children as commanders because their arms are too short," explains Thomas Bartoschek. With further programming and development work the weak points of the prototype could be corrected. The scientists want to raise 8000 euros to carry out a study and to develop new gestures that are as intuitively understandable and user-friendly as possible on the basis of user surveys.
According to the initiators, "sciencestarter.de" allows for a quick and easy implementation of smaller research projects which cannot be financed by the budget of departments or research institutions but are too small to write a research proposal or too small to recruit external funding. Moreover, the platform enables scientists and science journalists to communicate with the public and researchers to provide information on their projects and their progress. Through their targeted support of the projects the public has direct influence on the themes and orientation of research.
The general rules for crowdfunding apply to the platform. Thus, the supporters will be reimbursed if the required minimum sum is not raised, and the donors receive a fixed "reward" from the project operators. For example, the geo computer scientists from Münster will write a personal thank you e-mail for a donation of 2 euros. Among other things those who donate the highest sum of 1025 euros will be mentioned in the scientific publication resulting from the project and will receive a visit from the team: "We will come to your exhibition, company or home and will show you the new gestures," so they say at sciencestarter.
Translated by: Ann-Kathrin John, Lisa Büttgen and Katharina Hörbelt