iSPEX research, validation and support
An active flagship research line with successful above-water Rrs validation, continuing deployments and a long-term citizen-observatory ambition.
Active research and validation
- Active research line: iSPEX remains Pocket Science’s flagship; wider validation work continues.
- Successful 2025 validation: Prof Stefan Simis and Dr Tom Jordan at Plymouth Marine Laboratory successfully derived above-water remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) with iSPEX2 during multiple campaigns, supported extensively by Pocket Science.
- Research deployment: iSPEX2 units were distributed to many research groups at the end of 2025.
- Fully distributed batch: the 2025 batch is now with research groups and no units remain in stock. New orders will require a funded production route.
- Air-quality boundary: air-quality use is possible in theory but has not been implemented for iSPEX2. Atmospheric campaign evidence belongs to the original iSPEX lineage.
- Next phase: iSPEX2 is not yet consumer-ready. Scaling it into a citizen observatory requires new investment in production, calibration, software, support and further application validation.
The scientific route
The dedicated scientific identity, history and documentation live at ispex.org. iSPEX originated at Leiden University. Pocket Science developed the iPhone implementation and contributed the apps, backend, processing, distribution and deployment. Prof Stefan Simis and Dr Tom Jordan at Plymouth Marine Laboratory led the successful above-water Rrs validation across multiple 2025 campaigns, with extensive technical support from Pocket Science.
Validation of one method does not imply universal phone compatibility, unit equivalence or readiness for every proposed use. Camera processing, geometry, exposure, references, calibration, optical alignment and construction can materially affect results.
Support for an existing iSPEX unit
If your research group received an iSPEX or iSPEX2 unit, include the hardware generation, phone model, app and version if known, intended measurement, protocol followed and the specific problem when contacting us. This helps route the question to the right technical or scientific partner.
Existing units are research instruments, not a standard supported consumer product. New calibration, software changes or project-specific analysis may require a funded scope. Do not send confidential research data, personal participant information or unpublished results through the public contact form.
- Scientific iSPEX website
- Open iSPEX2 project: protocols, app guide, data and processing
- Preregistered aquatic-reflectance validation study
- Historical iSPEX campaign map
- Contact Pocket Science
The investment opportunity
Pocket Science is actively looking for the funded research, investment and production opportunity that can make iSPEX2 consumer-ready. The ambition is a distributed citizen observatory: many people measuring water with the validated Rrs method and, after implementation and validation, extending the same instrument concept to atmospheric observation. Interested scientific, institutional and investment partners can start a conversation.
Planning a different citizen science project?
A new project does not need to use iSPEX, a sensor or a complete observatory. Pocket Science develops tailor-made citizen science apps, scientific sensing workflows, data services and long-term research infrastructure around the method actually required.