The purpose of this study is to investigate how processes of subjectification constitute the empowered citizen/patient in the discourses on smart cities. Descriptions of smartphone apps which use environmental sensor data are analysed through discourse analytic approach to governmentality. More specifically the thesis investigates the empowered citizen in relation to responsibilisation and relations to knowledge and power. The study finds that the citizen-subject is responsibilised and the relations knowledge are reformulated and redistribute responsibility. Data and the derived knowledge is represented as a form of empowerment. The citizen-subject is constituted as a manager of their own health, and a catalysts for changing the environment. Emphasising the importance of data and putting the user at the heart of data collecting further contributes to the responsibilisation. However, as the information from the data streams is transferable it also redistributes responsibility in the network of individuals who have access to it. The way of knowing the self and the environment is augmented to include a codified interface, which conditions the relationship. A distributed network of sensors allows the citizen-subject is able to simultaneously read the environment in multiple locations. Relations in knowledge production are also found to be altered.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based environmental monitoring platform was presented in this dissertation. All devices were realized using thin-film piezoelectric-on-substrate (TPoS) technology, which provides a path to integrate various functionalities on a single substrate with MEMS components. TPoS resonators exhibit high quality factors (Qs) in air and are capable of low-power oscillator implementation, which further qualifies such a platform for mobile and portable systems. To validate the TPoS platform, gravimetric humidity sensing was demonstrated with thermally-corrected output by an uncoated "reference" temperature sensor. Also presented were TPoS sensors for toluene and xylene, which are pollutants of great importance for indoor and outdoor air quality as well as health screenings. Silicon dual-mode resonators and oscillators for self-temperature sensing were also explored. Dual-mode thermometry exploits the inherent frequency-temperature dependence of silicon to accurately and locally measure device temperature, forming an essential building block of highly stable oscillators and sensors. Multi-axis piezo-on-Si kinetic energy harvesting (KEH) devices with integrated frequency-upconverting transducers were also introduced. Devices were micromachined on the same substrate as TPoS resonant sensors and have an individual volume in mm3, enabling applications in wireless autonomous sensor nodes. In remote locations where continuous operation may be required, TPoS energy harvesters can provide battery replacement or recharging alternatives that do not increase overall system size.

Increase in population and limited resources have created a growing demand for a futuristic living environment where technology enables the efficient utilization and management of resources in order to increase quality of life. One characteristic of such a society, which is often referred to as a ‘Smart City’, is that the people are well informed about their physiological being as well as the environment around them, which makes them better equipped to handle crisis situations. There is a need, therefore, to develop wireless sensors which can provide early warnings and feedback during calamities such as floods, fires, and industrial leaks, and provide remote health care facilities. For these situations, low-cost sensor nodes with small form factors are required. For this purpose, the use of a low-cost, mass manufacturing technique such as inkjet printing can be beneficial due to its digitally controlled additive nature of depositing material on a variety of substrates. Inkjet printing can permit economical use of material on cheap flexible substrates that allows for the development of miniaturized freeform electronics. This thesis describes how low-cost, inkjet-printed, wireless sensors have been developed for real-time monitoring applications. A 3D buoyant mobile wireless sensor node has been demonstrated that can provide early warnings as well as real-time data for flood monitoring. This disposable paper-based module can communicate while floating in water up to a distance of 50 m, regardless of its orientation in the water. Moreover, fully inkjet-printed sensors have been developed to monitor temperature, humidity and gas levels for wireless environmental monitoring. The sensors are integrated and packaged using 3D inkjet printing technology. Finally, in order to demonstrate the benefits of such wireless sensor systems for health care applications, a low-cost, wearable, wireless sensing system has been developed for chronic wound monitoring. The system called ‘Smart Bandage’ can provide early warnings and long term data for medical diagnoses. These demonstrations show that inkjet printing can enable the development of low-cost wireless sensors that can be dispersed in the environment or worn on the human body to enable an internet of things (IoT), which can facilitate better and safer living.

Pathogenic microbial contamination of the environment poses a significant threat to human health. Accordingly, microbial surveillance is needed to ensure safe drinking water and air quality. Current analytical methods for microbes are generally either culture-based, gene amplification-based, or sequencing-based. However, these approaches require centralized facilities, well-trained personnel, and specialized instruments that result in high costs and long turnaround times. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based techniques have been proposed to overcome these limitations. In this dissertation, we discuss work conducted to develop novel SERS-based methods to enable both sensitive microbial quantification and analysis of the interactions of pathogens, their hosts, and the surrounding environment. We first developed a labeled SERS-based lateral flow test for virus quantification. Optimization of the lateral flow design and digital signal analysis enabled high sensitivity towards SARS-CoV-2. To elicit a comprehensive understanding of pathogen infection, label-free living-cell SERS sensors were engineered by incubating host cells with nanoparticles. SERS spectral changes in host cellular components and metabolites during infection were used for viral quantification and offered inherent insights into the temporal and spatial molecular-level mechanisms of infection. These biosensors were validated using bacteriophage Phi6 and then developed for infectious H1N1 influenza. To understand microbial survival in the environment, living-cell SERS methods were applied under various conditions. Results showed cell inactivation and antibiotic treatment induced significant cellular and metabolic responses in the living whole-cell sensors, implying their potential applicability to various environmental conditions. Our research achieves rapid and on-site pathogen quantification and infection mechanism identification. / Doctor of Philosophy / Pathogenic microbes, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, can spread through air and water and are potentially harmful to human health. Monitoring the concentrations of these microbes in the environment is crucial to track their presence and provide an early warning of their spread. Unfortunately, current microbial detection methods are often expensive and take a long time since they typically require professional facilities and expert elicitation. Our research relies on a technique called surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to address these challenges. SERS enables identification and quantification of microbes by analyzing specific features (i.e., peak position, peak intensity) in the spectra. We first applied this technique by modifying a commercial SARS-CoV-2 antigen test kit with a label molecule that provides SERS signals. We achieve accurate and sensitive quantification, even in the presence of high levels of environmental interference. To better understand how these harmful microbes interact with our bodies, we developed sensors that can measure SERS signal changes in host cells before and after infection. These sensors were tested using the bacteriophage virus Phi6 that infects bacteria and infectious H1N1 influenza virus. Furthermore, we applied these sensors to study how bacteria respond to different environmental conditions, providing valuable insights into their survival and behavior under various conditions. In summary, our research introduces methods that are more accessible to identify and quantify harmful microbes that can be potentially used by the general public. The methods provide us with molecular level understanding of pathogen interactions with humans and the environment.

A platoon of autonomous underwater vehicles provides a compelling platform for studying many challenging issues in multi-agent cooperative control. These challenges include developing cooperative algorithms suitable to practical multi-vehicle applications. They also include addressing intervehicle communication issues, such as sharing information via limited bandwidth channels and selecting network architecture to facilitate control design. This work addresses problems in each of these areas. Environmental tracking and formation control serves as the main application upon which this work focuses. In the tracking and formation control application, a team of vehicles obtains a spatial average of an environmental feature by collecting and sharing local measurements. To achieve this objective, vehicles track a desired environmental field contour with their average position while maintaining a desired spatial formation about the average. A decentralized consensus-based algorithm is developed for controlling the platoon. In a novel two-level consensus approach, each vehicle estimates a virtual leader trajectory using local and shared measurements at one level, then positions itself about the virtual leader at a second level. Due to very low bandwidth underwater communication, vehicles share information intermittently, and the platoon network is effectively disconnected at every instant of time. This issue is addressed by modeling the platoon as a periodic switched system whose frozen-time subsystems possess disconnected networks, but whose time-averaged system is connected. The stability and input-output properties of the switched system are related to those of the corresponding average system. Under sufficiently fast switching, asymptotic stability of the average system implies asymptotic stability of the switched system and the existence of an L2 gain. Estimates of the slowest stabilizing switching rate and the L2 gain are derived. Controller and estimator design are complicated by the lack of a separation principle for decentralized systems and by the effects of intervehicle coupling. The potential for choosing the communication topology in a manner that leads to design simplifications is investigated. In particular, a transformation is presented that converts the platoon state coefficient matrix to block diagonal form when the communication network has a circulant structure. / Ph. D.

Array antennas are used extensively in remote sensing applications, where a highly directive beam is needed to scan a particular area of interest on the surface of the earth. The research presented here focuses on the design of different microstrip patch antenna arrays to be used in environmental sensing applications in the X and Ka frequency bands, such as measurements in Snow and Cold Land Processes (SCLP) to detect snow accumulation, snow melt, etc. The goal of this research is to produce highly integrated, low loss, and compact size antenna arrays, while maintaining low power consumption. Multilayer organic (MLO) System-on-a-Package (SOP) technology, using laminates such as Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) and RT/Duroid®, provides a lightweight and low cost 3D solution for the fabrication of the antenna arrays. The elements of the antenna arrays are rectangular patches. Two feeding mechanisms, aperture coupling and via feed, were implemented and compared. For the RF distribution network and interconnects, a corporate feed approach was used with reactive T-junctions, Wilkinson dividers, or both, for power division. The feed networks were designed using microstrip. The basic multilayer antenna array design consists of 3 layers of cladded laminate material. The metal layers are as follows: 1) patch antennas, 2) ground plane, 3) feed network, and 4) surface-mount components. The surface mount components would include LNA, PA, TR switch and phase shifter.

The aim of this thesis is to examine and develop new techniques in stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) for nutrient and erosion reduction and monitoring by incorporation of low impact green technologies and sensor networks. Previous research has found excessive nutrient loading of nitrogen and phosphorus species from urban stormwater runoff can lead to ecological degradation and eutrophication of receiving lakes and rivers (Fareed and Abid, 2005). In response, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has set forth reduction goals as established in Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) reports to reduce nutrient loading and restore, or maintain, Florida water bodies to reasonable conditions. Often times current stormwater management practices are not sufficient to attain these goals and further improvements in system design are required. In order to reach these goals, affordable technologies designed for both nutrient reduction and monitoring of system performance to deepen and improve our understanding of stormwater processes are required. Firstly this thesis examines the performance of three types of continuous-cycle Media Bed Reactors (MBRs) using Bio-activated Adsorptive Media (BAM) for nutrient reduction in three retention ponds located throughout the Central Florida region. Chapter 2 examines the use of a Sloped and Horizontal MBRs arranged in a baffling configuration, whereas Chapter 3 examines the field performance of a Floating MBR arranged in an upflow configuration. Each MBR was analyzed for performance in reducing total phosphorus, soluble reactive phosphorus, total nitrogen, organic nitrogen, ammonia, nitrates + nitrites, turbidity and chlorophyll a species as measured from the influent to effluent ends of the MBR. The results of the experiments indicate that MBRs may be combined with retention ponds to provide "green technology" alternatives for inter-event treatment of nutrient species in urban stormwater runoff by use of recyclable sorption media and solar powered submersible pumps. Secondly the thesis focusses on three new devices for BMP monitoring which may be integrated into wireless networks, including a Groundwater Variable Probe (GVP) for velocity, hydraulic conductivity and dispersion measurements in a retention pond bank (Chapter 4), an affordable Wireless Automated Sampling Network (WASN) for sampling and analysis of nutrient flux gradients in retention ponds (Chapter 5), and finally an Arc-Type Automated Pulse Tracer Velocimeter (APTV) for low velocity and direction surface water measurements in retention ponds and constructed wetlands (Chapter 6). The GVP was integrated with other environmental sensing probes to create a remote sensing station, capable of real-time data analysis of sub-surface conditions including soil moisture, water table stage. Such abilities, when synced with user control capabilities, may help to increase methods of monitoring for applications including erosion control, bank stability predictions, monitoring of groundwater pollutant plume migration, and establishing hydraulic residence times through subsurface BMPs such as permeable reactive barriers. Advancement of this technology may be used by establishing additional sub-stations, thereby creating sensing networks covering broader areas on the kilometer scale. Two methods for velocity calculation were developed for the GVP for low flow (Pe < 0.2) and high flow (Pe > 0.6) conditions. The GVP was found to operate from a 26-505 cmd-1 range in the laboratory to within ±26% of expected velocities for high-flow conditions and effectively measure directional flow angles to within ±14° of expected. Hydraulic conductivity measurements made by the GVP were confirmed to within ±12% as compared to laboratory measurements. The GVP was found capable of measuring the dispersion coefficient in the laboratory, however turbulent interferences caused during injection was found to occur. Further advancement of the technology may be merited to improve dispersion coefficient measurements. Automated water sampling can provide valuable information of the spatial and temporal distribution of pollutant loading in surface water environments. This ability is expanded with the development of the WASN, providing an affordable, ease-of-use method compared to conventional automated water samplers currently on the market. The WASN was found to effectively operate by text activation via GSM cellular networks to an activation module. Propagation of the signal was distributed to collection units via XBee modules operating on point-to-point star communication using an IEEE 802.15.4 protocol. Signal communications effectively transmitted in the field during a storm event to within a range of 200 feet and collected 50 ±4 ml samples at synced timed increments. A tracer study confirmed that no mixing of samples occurs when a factor of safety of 2 is applied to flush times. This technology provides similar abilities to current market devices at down to 10% of the cost, thereby allowing much more sampling locations for a similar budget. The Arc-Type APTV is useful in establishing both low range horizontal velocity fields and expanding low range velocity measurements below detection ranges of mechanical velocity meters. Installation of a field station showed system functionality, which may be integrated with other environmental sensing probes for surface water testing. This may assist in nutrient distribution analysis and understanding the complex behavior of hydraulic retention times within wetland systems. The device was found to work effectively in both lab and field environments from a 0.02 – 5.0 cms-1 range and measure velocity within approximately ±10% of an acoustic Doppler velocimeter and within an average of ±10° of directional measurements. A drop in accuracy was measured for velocity ranges > 4.5 cms-1. The field station operated on 3G CDMA cellular network two-way communication by installation of a Raven cellular modem. Use of LoggerNet software allowed control and data acquisition from anywhere with an internet connection. This thesis also introduces brief discussions on expanding these "point" measurement technologies into sensing networks. Installation of sub-stations with communication protocols to one central master node station may broaden the sensing system into much larger kilometer-scale ranges, thus allowing large spatial analysis of environmental conditions. Such an integration into controllable sensing networks may help bridge the gap and add calibration and verification abilities between fine-resolution "point" measurements and large scale technologies such as Electrical Resistivity Tomography and satellite remote sensing. Furthermore, application of sensing networks may assist in calibration and verification of surface and groundwater models such as ModFlow, SVFlux and FEHM.

In 2015, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enabled shared commercial use of the 3.550-3.700 GHz band. A framework was developed to enable this spectrum-sharing capa- bility which included an automated frequency coordinator called Spectrum Access System (SAS). This work extends the open source SAS based on the aforementioned FCC SAS framework developed by researchers at Virginia Tech Wireless group, with real-time envi- ronment sensing capability along with intelligent incumbent detection using Software-defined Radios (SDRs) and a real-time graphical user interface. This extended version is called the OpenSAS. Furthermore, the SAS client and OpenSAS are extended to be compliant with the Wireless Innovation Forum (WINNF) specifications by testing the SAS-CBRS Base Station Device (CBSD) interface with the Google SAS Test Environment. The Environment Sensing Capability (ESC) functionality is evaluated and tested in our xG Testbed to verify its ability to detect the presence of users in the CBRS band. An ML-based feedforward neural net- work model is employed and trained using simulated radar waveforms as incumbent signals and captured 5G New Radio (NR) signals as a non-incumbent signal to predict whether the detected user is a radar incumbent or an unknown user. If the presence of incumbent radar is detected with an 85% or above certainty, incumbent protection is activated, terminating CBSD grants causing damaging interference to the detected incumbent. A 5G NR signal is used as a non-incumbent user and added to the training dataset to better the ability of the model to reject non-incumbent signals. The model achieves a maximum validation accuracy of 95.83% for signals in the 40-50 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) range. It achieves an 85.35% accuracy for Over the air (OTA) real-time tests. The non-incumbent 5G NR signal rejection accuracy is 91.30% for a calculated SNR range of 10-20 dB. In conclusion, this work advances state of the art in spectrum sharing systems by presenting an enhanced open source SAS and evaluating the newly added functionalities. / Master of Science / In 2015, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) enabled shared commercial use of the 3.550-3.700 GHz band. A framework was developed to enable this spectrum-sharing capability which included an automated frequency coordinator called Spectrum Access System (SAS). The task of the SAS is to make sure no two users use the same spectrum in the same location causing damaging interference to each other. The SAS is also responsible for prioritizing the higher tier users and protecting them from interference from lower tier users. This work extends the open source SAS based on the aforementioned FCC SAS framework developed by researchers at Virginia Tech Wireless group, with real-time environment sensing capability along with intelligent incumbent detection using Software-defined Radios (SDRs) and a real-time graphical user interface. This extended version is called the OpenSAS. Furthermore, the SAS client and OpenSAS are extended to be compliant with the Wireless Innovation Forum (WINNF) specifications by testing the SAS-CBRS Base Station Device (CBSD) interface with the Google SAS Test Environment. The Environment Sensing Capability (ESC) functionality is evaluated and tested in our xG Testbed to verify its ability to detect the presence of users in the CBRS band. The ESC is used to detect incumbent users (the highest tier) that do not inform the SAS about their use of the spectrum. An ML-based feedforward neural net- work model is employed and trained using simulated radar waveforms as incumbent signals and captured 5G New Radio (NR) signals as a non-incumbent signal to predict whether the detected user is a radar incumbent or an unknown user. If the presence of incumbent radar is detected with an 85% or above certainty, incumbent protection is activated, terminating CBSD grants causing damaging interference to the detected incumbent. A 5G NR signal is used as a non-incumbent user and added to the training dataset to better the ability of the model to reject non-incumbent signals. The model achieves a maximum validation accuracy of 95.83% for signals in the 40-50 dB Signal to-Noise Ratio (SNR) range. It achieves an 85.35% accuracy for Over the air (OTA) real-time tests. The non-incumbent 5G NR signal rejection accuracy is 91.30% for a calculated SNR range of 10-20 dB. In conclusion, this work advances state of the art in spectrum sharing systems by presenting an enhanced open source SAS and evaluating the newly added functionalities.

The propagation of contaminants in the environment continues to threaten public health and safety. Conventional analytical techniques for environmental detection require centralized facilities and intensive resources for operation. An effective implementation of a wide network of field deployable point-of-use (POU) sensors can potentially enable real-time monitoring of water quality parameters and inform decision making on public health outbreaks. The use of nanotechnology and field-deployable analytical tools can potentially advance the development of POU sensors for future field application. In this dissertation, we developed environmental sensing techniques that utilize nanocomposites made of low-cost, biocompatible, and sustainable nanomaterials combined with Raman spectroscopy. First, a technology pre-assessment was performed that included a comprehensive evaluation of cellulose-derived nanocomposites and nanobiotechnology enabled techniques for their sustainable long-term environmental application. Furthermore, to contribute to the better understanding of the potential environmental implications of nanomaterial production and application, life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate the environmental impacts of six iron precursors and seven iron oxide nanoparticle synthesis methods. Secondly, in the technology development step, gold (Au) and iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were incorporated onto bacterial cellulose nanocrystals and nanoscale magnetite were synthesized. As proof-of-concept environmental applications, the Au@Fe3O4@BCNCs were applied for the magnetic separation and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection of malachite green isothiocyanate (MGITC), and nanoscale magnetite were applied for phosphate (PO43-) removal and recovery from synthetic urine matrices. Finally, in the technological application step, three environmental sensing applications are presented that use nanomaterial-based sensor platforms and/or Raman spectroscopic techniques. The first application involved using Lectin-modified BCNCs coupled SERS and machine learning for discrimination of bacterial strains. The second application presents a simple Raman-stable isotope labeling approach for the study of viral infection of bacteria. The third application involved use of SERS pH nanoprobes for measuring pH in droplets of complex matrices (e.g., DMEM cell culture media, human saliva). / Doctor of Philosophy / The current generation of analytical tools for environmental detection rely upon centralized facilities and intensive resources for operation. The combination of nanotechnology and field deployable analytical tools can aid in the development of point-of-use (POU) sensors for field monitoring of environmental contaminants. In this dissertation, we combined low-cost, biocompatible, and sustainable nanomaterials with Raman spectroscopy-based techniques to develop potentially field-deployable environmental sensing techniques. First, a technology pre-assessment was performed which involved a comprehensive evaluation of cellulose-derived nanocomposites and nanobiotechnology enabled techniques for their sustainable long-term environmental application. Furthermore, life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate the environmental impacts of iron oxide nanoparticle synthesis methods to better understand environmental impacts of nanoparticle production. Secondly, in the technology development step, we developed the nanocomposites: Au and Fe3O4 nanoparticles incorporated bacterial cellulose nanocrystals and nanoscale magnetite. As proof-of-concept environmental applications, the Au@Fe3O4@BCNCs were used for the detection of malachite green isothiocyanate (MGITC), and the nanoscale magnetite were used for phosphate (PO43-) removal and recovery from synthetic urine. Finally, in the technological application step, (1) selective detection of bacteria was performed using lectin-modified BCNCs as SERS biosensors coupled with SERS and machine learning. (2) Viral infection of bacteria was evaluated using Raman spectroscopy and Deuterium isotope labeling, and (3) pH in micro-droplets of DMEM cell culture media and human saliva were observed using SERS pH nanoprobes.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T10:53:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MILCIADES HEITOR DE ABREU PARDO.pdf: 4439277 bytes, checksum: ff5766d35aca3a3804289bc389bf50d5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-08-20 / For proper exploitation of natural resources, it is necessary, besides the use of tools that assist in the planning of environmental activities and detailed knowledge of the region, an accurate environmental perception of those who inhabit this environment. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to propose a methodology for environmental management that helps in the understanding of processes related to conservation of natural resources with emphasis on its employees and neighboring communities. The study was carried out at Embrapa Acre with the use of direct and indirect research techniques (questionnaires), and also tools necessary for the utility of a geographic information system (GIS). To enhance the environmental perception of the communities involved two kinds of questionnaires were applied with closed and choice multiple questions. These were applied in the employees and neighboring communities levels, which resulted in a better understanding of the existing potentiality for development and the socioeconomic factors of the locality. We observed evident possibilities for the increase of the use of natural resources in the experimental field. The questionnaire results pointed and suggested practical unit developments, such as the reforestation of permanent preservation areas. These facts were corroborated by studies in the evaluation of field data collected and integrated in remote sensing. We highlighted the photointerpretation and as a result the suggestion of the adoption of a GIS by the company. Besides the theoretical emphasis, the compatibility between the use of aerial photographs and data mining was supported by softwares such as ArcGIS and made it possible the development of a database, which included the creation and development of spatial structures recognized and measured in field with the use of geographic position system (GPS). Thus, by means of experimental results obtained, the method of photointerpretation presented effective classification of the experimental field of Embrapa Acre, with elaboration of thematic maps of the area and a GIS. Allied to these techniques, the study infers the global perception of the community and employees as essential and confirms that environmental care has acquire more social and ecological sensitivity, in search of a better quality of life and sustainable development. / Para a exploração adequada dos recursos naturais é necessário, além da utilização de ferramentas que auxiliem no planejamento das atividades ambientais e do conhecimento detalhado da região, uma percepção ambiental apurada daqueles que habitam este meio. Portanto, o objetivo desse trabalho é propor uma metodologia de gestão ambiental que auxilie na compreensão dos processos relacionados à conservação dos recursos naturais, com ênfase em seus colaboradores e comunidades vizinhas. O estudo foi desenvolvido no campo experimental da Embrapa Acre com utilização de técnicas de pesquisa direta e indireta (questionários), além de ferramentas necessárias para utilização de um sistema de informação geográfica (SIG). Para acrescer a percepção ambiental das comunidades envolvidas, foram aplicados dois modelos de questionários com perguntas fechadas e de múltiplas escolhas. Estes foram aplicados nos níveis de colaboradores e das comunidades vizinhas, o que resultou uma melhor compreensão das potencialidades existentes de desenvolvimento e os fatores socioeconômicos da localidade. Observaram-se evidentes possibilidades de aumento do uso dos recursos naturais do campo experimental, como, por exemplo, o reflorestamento de áreas de preservação permanente. Este último, apoiado pelo estudo na avaliação dos dados de campo coletados e integrados no sensoriamento remoto. Destacou-se a fotointerpretação e, como resultado, a sugestão de adoção pela Empresa de um SIG. Além da ênfase teórica a compatibilidade entre o uso de fotografias aéreas e a mineração de dados, apoiou-se em softwares como o ArcGIS e tornou-se possível a elaboração de uma base de dados, que contou com a criação e elaboração de estruturas espaciais reconhecidas e aferidas no campo com auxílio de GPS Global Positioning System . Assim, por meio dos resultados experimentais obtidos, o método da fotointerpretação apresentou efetividade de classificação do campo experimental da Embrapa Acre, com elaboração de mapas temáticos da área e um SIG. Aliado a essas técnicas o estudo infere a percepção global das comunidades e colaboradores como essencial e confirma que o cuidado ambiental adquiriu maior sensibilidade social e ecológica na busca de uma melhor qualidade de vida e desenvolvimento sustentável.