PRESENTATION: One of the presentations at this year’s Researchers’ Night held by Research Council Faroe Islands will be on the interesting smartphone tidal app, which Fiskaaling has initiated the development of. The presentation in question will be held at Studentaskúlin in Hoydalar, in Dugni við Áir, and at Skúlin við Løkin in Runavík.
There is great interest in the tidal app, which Fiskaaling has developed in collaboration with others. So great is the interest that Research Council Faroe Islands has invited Fiskaaling to hold three presentations for the occasion of the Researchers’ Night on Tour 2017. The presentations will be held at Studentaskúlin in Hoydalar, in Dugni við Áir, and at Skúlin við Løkin in Runavík.
With the new app, which has been given the name ‘Rák’ (Currents) it is possible to see the currents around the Faroe Islands in more detail than before. In addition to being useful in connection with sailing, fishing trips, and fishing in general, the app is also useful to owners of pleasure boats. Likewise, it can be used for various kinds of sea-related teaching.
After installing the app on the smartphone an internet connection is not required for using it. And when the app is opened it displays an image of the Faroe Islands, which gives an up-to-date overview of the currents. An updated overview of the currents is then calculated every fifteenth minute.
The app is very user-friendly, and it is possible to enlarge the map and to move it around by using one’s fingers in the same way as when displaying pictures on the smartphone. The arrows represent the direction of the currents, and four different colours represent the speed of the currents. Blue represents the turn of the tide, green represents one metre per second, yellow two, and red represents three metres per second and faster. This corresponds approximately to two, four, and six nautical miles, respectively.
The development of the new app is a joint project between Fiskaaling, which has been in charge of project management and consultancy, the University of the Faroe Islands, which has provided basic data, the company Magnussen Technology, which is responsible for technical advice, design, and programming, while Statoil has provided financial support for the project.
The app, which has been developed for both iPhone and Android platforms can be downloaded from the website: www.rak.fo, where an instruction manual is also available.
‘Resources’ is the common theme of the Researchers’ Night itself, which will be held on September 29, where Fiskaaling will have a stall, which among other things will show video clips describing Fiskaaling’s work.
Again this year, the Researcher’s Night will be held at Perlan, Reinsaríið, Ostahúsið, and at Perlutorgið, located in Tórsgøta in Tórshavn.
