The University of Zaragoza has set up up to eight laboratories devoted to Citizen Science:
FabLab, Digital Prototyping, WetLab, Robotics, Audio, Visualization, Computing,
Sensorizing, Video with a total budget of half a million euros. In these laboratories the
Citizen Science community along with the Scientific Community is able to develop their
own scientific projects.
All these laboratories are set up in the Etopia building: Center of Arts and Technology,
occupying and area of 1000 m^2.
One has to have in mind that only three things
are needed to do scientific research,
knowledge, time and resources. It seems clear
that nowadays this knowledge is getting out of the
traditional track and citizens are having more and
more free time. So we must ensure that these
needed resources are available for citizens.
Open Art – Fablab and Prototyping
Bringing knowledge and technology between
the scientific community and citizens is
essential to take advantage of the maximum
potential that these citizens can offer to Science.
Having them as mere observers or circumstantial
actors without initiative do not allow us to obtain all
the possible outcome. There are several aspects
why physical mix between citizens and
professional researchers is well worth.
Audio Lab
Firstly, for citizens, work together with professional
scientists allow them to understand and practice
the scientific method, secondly, the citizen science
community has access to some resources
traditionally reserved to professional researchers,
thirdly it allows the scientist to use the resources
citizen science offers for their own research and
last but not least, understand and improve the
Citizen Science process.