computer science

Ubimet

Ubimet is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ubimet rather than just read about it. In short: The Institute for Ubiquitous Meteorology (UBIMET) is a worldwide private provider of weather forecasts and severe weather warnings. History Ubimet was established in Vienna, Austria, by Michael Fassnauer and Manfred Spatzierer in September 2004 under the name Meteomedia GmbH.

Key takeaways

Ubimet belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ubimet to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ubimet from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Institute for Ubiquitous Meteorology (UBIMET) is a worldwide private provider of weather forecasts and severe weather warnings.

History Ubimet was established in Vienna, Austria, by Michael Fassnauer and Manfred Spatzierer in September 2004 under the name Meteomedia GmbH. It began by providing weather services to institutions such as the German Press Agency, ÖBB, and Uniqa Insurance Group. Ubimet went on to build the Austrian Severe Weather Center to forecast extreme weather events. In December 2008, shares of Meteomedia Group were bought back by the company's founders, and the name was changed to UBIMET GmbH. Today, companies in the insurance, media (such as Der Standard and Kronen Zeitung), sports (the International Automobile Federation, Moto GP, Red Bull, the Australian Olympic sailing team, the 2013 European Beach Volleyball Championships), infrastructure (ÖBB, Deutsche Bahn), energy (E.ON), mining (Austmine), and logistics (Strabag) industries use Ubimet's corporate services. In 2011, the company opened an office in Melbourne, Australia, with a full-scale operation including meteorologists and business development resources, as well as marketing and infrastructure. In 2012, Ubimet provided weather data for the Red Bull Stratos space diving project during which Felix Baumgartner successfully ascended to 128,100 feet in a stratospheric balloon and free-fell at supersonic speed before parachuting to the ground. In the same year, Red Bull became a company shareholder. Ubimet now provides weather data for many of Red Bull's global sporting events (e.g., the Wings For Life World Run in 2014 and 2015). Since 2014, Ubimet has had a contract with the International Automobile Federation (FIA) to provide weather forecasts for all Formula One Grand Prix races. It did so for the Formula One race on October 5, 2014, in Suzuka, Japan, when Typhoon Phanfone approached the city. Ubimet also provided meteorological data for the 2013 and 2014 Tissot Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. In July 2015, Ubimet launched its flagship consumer product, Morecast, on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The app combines weather forecasts, radar and satellite maps for rain and lightning, as well as severe storm warning notifications.

Research and development In cooperation with several international research institutes, Ubimet's research and development department is involved in multiple research projects. The company's INDUS project (individualised, nowcasting-based dynamic warning system) won the Centre for Innovation and Technology's "Safe and Secure Vienna" contest at the Viennovation Awards in 2006. In 2007, the Centre for Innovation and Technology selected the company's SITUMET (situation-based ubiquitous meteorological services) project for funding. UBIMET was also named a "Vienna Spot of Excellence". In 2006, UBIMET received the Vienna Chamber of Commerce's "Mercury Prize for the most innovative service" of the year for its WIND IV (weather information on demand) severe weather warning system. In 2011, it was one of three European companies to participate in the launch ceremony of “Future Internet”, a large European research initiative, in Brussels. The company was cited as an example of innovation in Europe's internet future. From January 2011 to April 2014, UBIMET and Uniqa Insurance Group worked with the Fraunhofer Society on Opti-Alert, an international study funded by the European Union. The aim of the study was to improve alert strategies for extreme weather events.

Lightning detection system The Ubimet lightning detection system measures lightning at a third of a millionth of a second, using five ground-based antennas to detect the electrical discharge of a strike. Once lightning hits, the electromagnetic waves travel through two copper coils at right angles, inducing a current. This is then registered by an embedded device, transferred to Ubimet's central processing unit and transmitted to meteorologists or paying companies within 30 seconds. Worldwide lightning data is also displayed on the 3D Weather Globe of Ubimet's Morecast App, free of charge.

Data and models UBIMET has access to data that is compliant with World Meteorological Organization standards. It also has access to satellite, weather radar, weather buoy, radiosonde, and lightning data. It uses a combination of global and proprietary weather models.

References

External links http://www.ubimet.com http://www.morecast.com - MORECAST http://www.fokus.fraunhofer.de/1aa18d7737565666 - SITUMET http://www.opti-alert.eu Archived 2014-12-18 at the Wayback Machine - OPTI ALERT http://www.zit.co.at/en.html Archived 2014-12-19 at the Wayback Machine - ZIT https://www.wired.co.uk/article/ubimet-detecting-lightning-predicting-storms - WIRED UK

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ubimet

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ubimet claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ubimet before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ubimet ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ubimet

In research: Ubimet appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ubimet in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ubimet is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2004 establishments in Austria, Companies based in Vienna, Meteorological companies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ubimet outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ubimet in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ubimet means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ubimet out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ubimet in simple terms?

The Institute for Ubiquitous Meteorology (UBIMET) is a worldwide private provider of weather forecasts and severe weather warnings. History Ubimet was established in Vienna, Austria, by Michael Fassnauer and Manfred Spatzierer in September 2004 under the name Meteomedia GmbH.

Why does Ubimet matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ubimet?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ubimet.