Friday, April 13, 2012

ESA App Camp 2012

From 18 to 22 June 2012, the European Space Agency (ESA) will be holding its first App Camp event at its ESRIN facilities in Frascati (near Rome), Italy. App developers 18 years and older from all 27 E.U. member-states will be able to apply to participate in the App Camp www.app-camp.eu until 6 May. ESA will then invite 20 participants to Italy based on their previous work to spend a week at the ESA App Developer Lab. Those selected will need to have experience in app development on the Android or iOS platforms that can be verified with links to published apps and other references.

The goal of the App Camp is to promote the development of mobile applications that facilitate the use of Earth observation data on smartphones - particularly data from ESA's and the European Union's ambitious and joint Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) programme. Experience in integrating this type of data, however, is not necessary to participate in the App Camp. Participants will be able to choose from one of four broad subject areas, which they will then work on in teams of four during their week at the ESA App Developer Lab. In the category "GMES for Everyday Life", for example, teams will need to make Earth observation data accessible to any target group they choose. This can involve apps from virtually any field, from recreation and healthcare to business and the environment (to name just a few). "Observe and Learn", meanwhile, is intended to produce an app with learning content and information on the subject of satellites and satellite data. The team that chooses the category "Play the GaMES" will be tasked with popularising GMES with the next generation through mobile games, social networks, and coupon and crowdsourcing apps. Finally, the "Earth and Beyond" category will give one team the freedom to develop its vision of an app that reveals, observes, describes, or explains the Earth in some way.

ESA will provide the App Camp participants with access to satellite data at its ESRIN facilities - as well as free travel and full boarding and lodging - for the entire week of the event. On the final day of the App Camp, the concepts developed will be presented and the winning team selected by a jury of ESA representatives. The members of the winning team will each receive an iPad 3 and other attractive awards.

Those interested can apply to participate in the App Camp at www.app-camp.eu until 6 May 2012.

Further information on App Camp is also available at www.app-camp.eu. For more information on GMES, please visit www.esa.int/gmes.

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