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Sensor, Observation, Sample, and Actuator (SOSA) Ontology

Metadata

URI
http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Creator(s)
W3C/OGC Spatial Data on the Web Working Group
Created
2017-04-17
License & Rights
http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Legal/2015/copyright-software-and-document
© 2017 W3C/OGC.
Ontology RDF
RDF (turtle)

Description

This ontology is based on the SSN Ontology by the W3C Semantic Sensor Networks Incubator Group (SSN-XG), together with considerations from the W3C/OGC Spatial Data on the Web Working Group.

Table of Contents

  1. Classes
  2. Object Properties
  3. Datatype Properties
  4. Annotation Properties
  5. Namespaces
  6. Legend

Overview

Pictures say 1,000 words
Figure 1: Ontology overview

Classes

Vocabularyc

URI http://purl.org/vocommons/voaf#Vocabulary
Members sosa:

TemporalEntityc

URI http://www.w3.org/2006/time#TemporalEntity

Actuatable Propertyc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/ActuatableProperty
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

An actuatable quality (property, characteristic) of a FeatureOfInterest.

Example
A window actuator acts by changing the state between a frame and a window. The ability of the window to be opened and closed is its ActuatableProperty.
                    

Actuationc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Actuation
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

An Actuation carries out an (Actuation) Procedure to change the state of the world using an Actuator.

Example
The activity of automatically closing a window if the temperature in a room drops below 20 degree Celsius. The activity is the Actuation and the device that closes the window is the Actuator. The Procedure is the rule, plan, or specification that defines the conditions that triggers the Actuation, here a drop in temperature. 
                    

Actuatorc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Actuator
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

A device that is used by, or implements, an (Actuation) Procedure that changes the state of the world.

Example
A window actuator for automatic window control, i.e., opening or closing the window.
                    

Feature Of Interestc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/FeatureOfInterest
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

The thing whose property is being estimated or calculated in the course of an Observation to arrive at a Result or whose property is being manipulated by an Actuator, or which is being sampled or transformed in an act of Sampling.

Example
When measuring the height of a tree, the height is the observed ObservableProperty, 20m may be the Result of the Observation, and the tree is the FeatureOfInterest. A window is a FeatureOfInterest for an automatic window control Actuator.
                    

Observable Propertyc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/ObservableProperty
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

An observable quality (property, characteristic) of a FeatureOfInterest.

Example
The height of a tree, the depth of a water body, or the temperature of a surface are examples of observable properties, while the value of a classic car is not (directly) observable but asserted.
                    

Observationc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Observation
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

Act of carrying out an (Observation) Procedure to estimate or calculate a value of a property of a FeatureOfInterest. Links to a Sensor to describe what made the Observation and how; links to an ObservableProperty to describe what the result is an estimate of, and to a FeatureOfInterest to detail what that property was associated with.

Example
The activity of estimating the intensity of an Earthquake using the Mercalli intensity scale is an Observation as is measuring the moment magnitude, i.e., the energy released by said earthquake.
                    

Platformc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Platform
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

A Platform is an entity that hosts other entities, particularly Sensors, Actuators, Samplers, and other Platforms.

Example
A post, buoy, vehicle, ship, aircraft, satellite, cell-phone, human or animal may act as platforms for (technical or biological) sensors or actuators.
                    

Procedurec

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Procedure
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

A workflow, protocol, plan, algorithm, or computational method specifying how to make an Observation, create a Sample, or make a change to the state of the world (via an Actuator). A Procedure is re-usable, and might be involved in many Observations, Samplings, or Actuations. It explains the steps to be carried out to arrive at reproducible results.

Example
The measured wind speed differs depending on the height of the sensor above the surface, e.g., due to friction. Consequently, procedures for measuring wind speed define a standard height for anemometers above ground, typically 10m for meteorological measures and 2m in Agrometeorology. This definition of height, sensor placement, and so forth are defined by the Procedure.
                    

Resultc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Result
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

The Result of an Observation, Actuation, or act of Sampling. To store an observation's simple result value one can use the hasSimpleResult property.

Example
The value 20 as the height of a certain tree together with the unit, e.g., Meter.
                    

Samplec

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Sample
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

Feature which is intended to be representative of a FeatureOfInterest on which Observations may be made.

Example
A statistical sample is often designed to be characteristic of an entire population, so that observations can be made regarding the sample that provide a good estimate of the properties of the population.
                    

Samplerc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Sampler
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

A device that is used by, or implements, a Sampling Procedure to create or transform one or more samples.

Example
A ball mill, diamond drill, hammer, hypodermic syringe and needle, image Sensor or a soil auger can all act as sampling devices (i.e., be Samplers). However, sometimes the distinction between the Sampler and the Sensor is not evident, as they are packaged as a unit. A Sampler need not be a physical device.
                    

Samplingc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Sampling
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

An act of Sampling carries out a sampling Procedure to create or transform one or more samples.

Example
Taking a diamond-drill core from a rock outcrop.
                    

Sensorc

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/Sensor
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description

Device, agent (including humans), or software (simulation) involved in, or implementing, a Procedure. Sensors respond to a stimulus, e.g., a change in the environment, or input data composed from the results of prior Observations, and generate a Result. Sensors can be hosted by Platforms.

Example
Accelerometers, gyroscopes, barometers, magnetometers, and so forth are Sensors that are typically mounted on a modern smart phone (which acts as Platform). Other examples of sensors include the human eyes.
                    

Agentc

URI http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/Agent
Members ub57bL37C19

Object Properties

acts on propertyop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/actsOnProperty
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between an Actuation and the property of a FeatureOfInterest it is acting upon.
Example
In the activity (Actuation) of automatically closing a window if the temperature in a room drops below 20 degrees Celsius, the property on which the Actuator acts upon is the state of the window as it changes from being open to being closed. 
                    
Inverse properties sosa:isActedOnByop

has feature of interestop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/hasFeatureOfInterest
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description A relation between an Observation and the entity whose quality was observed, or between an Actuation and the entity whose property was modified, or between an act of Sampling and the entity that was sampled.
Example
For example, in an Observation of the weight of a person, the FeatureOfInterest is the person and the property is its weight.
                    
Inverse properties sosa:isFeatureOfInterestOfop

has resultop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/hasResult
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation linking an Observation or Actuation or act of Sampling and a Result or Sample.
Inverse properties sosa:isResultOfop

has sampleop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/hasSample
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between a FeatureOfInterest and the Sample used to represent it.
Inverse properties sosa:isSampleOfop

hostsop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/hosts
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between a Platform and a Sensor, Actuator, Sampler, or Platform, hosted or mounted on it.
Inverse properties sosa:isHostedByop

is acted on byop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/isActedOnBy
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between an ActuatableProperty of a FeatureOfInterest and an Actuation changing its state.
Example
In the activity (Actuation) of automatically closing a window if the temperature in a room drops below 20 degrees Celsius, the property on which the Actuator acts upon is the state of the window as it changes from being open to being closed. 
                    
Inverse properties sosa:actsOnPropertyop

is feature of interest ofop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/isFeatureOfInterestOf
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description A relation between a FeatureOfInterest and an Observation about it, an Actuation acting on it, or an act of Sampling that sampled it.
Inverse properties sosa:hasFeatureOfInterestop

is hosted byop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/isHostedBy
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between a Sensor, Actuator, Sampler, or Platform, and the Platform that it is mounted on or hosted by.
Inverse properties sosa:hostsop

is observed byop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/isObservedBy
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between an ObservableProperty and the Sensor able to observe it.
Inverse properties sosa:observesop

is result ofop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/isResultOf
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation linking a Result to the Observation or Actuation or act of Sampling that created or caused it.
Inverse properties sosa:hasResultop

is sample ofop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/isSampleOf
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation from a Sample to the FeatureOfInterest that it is intended to be representative of.
Inverse properties sosa:hasSampleop

made actuationop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/madeActuation
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between an Actuator and the Actuation it has made.
Inverse properties sosa:madeByActuatorop

made by actuatorop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/madeByActuator
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation linking an Actuation to the Actuator that made that Actuation.
Inverse properties sosa:madeActuationop

made by samplerop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/madeBySampler
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation linking an act of Sampling to the Sampler (sampling device or entity) that made it.
Inverse properties sosa:madeSamplingop

made by sensorop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/madeBySensor
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between an Observation and the Sensor which made the Observation.
Inverse properties sosa:madeObservationop

made observationop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/madeObservation
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between a Sensor and an Observation made by the Sensor.
Inverse properties sosa:madeBySensorop

made samplingop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/madeSampling
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between a Sampler (sampling device or entity) and the Sampling act it performed.
Inverse properties sosa:madeBySamplerop

observed propertyop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/observedProperty
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation linking an Observation to the property that was observed. The ObservableProperty should be a property of the FeatureOfInterest (linked by hasFeatureOfInterest) of this Observation.

observesop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/observes
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description Relation between a Sensor and an ObservableProperty that it is capable of sensing.
Inverse properties sosa:isObservedByop

phenomenon timeop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/phenomenonTime
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description The time that the Result of an Observation, Actuation or Sampling applies to the FeatureOfInterest. Not necessarily the same as the resultTime. May be an Interval or an Instant, or some other compound TemporalEntity.

used procedureop

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/usedProcedure
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description A relation to link to a re-usable Procedure used in making an Observation, an Actuation, or a Sample, typically through a Sensor, Actuator or Sampler.

Datatype Properties

has simple resultdp

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/hasSimpleResult
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description The simple value of an Observation or Actuation or act of Sampling.
Example
For instance, the values 23 or true.
                    

result timedp

URI http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/resultTime
Is Defined By http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
Description The result time is the instant of time when the Observation, Actuation or Sampling activity was completed.
Range(s) xsd:dateTimec

Annotation Properties

createdap

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/created

creatorap

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/creator

descriptionap

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/description

licenseap

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/license

rightsap

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/rights

titleap

URI http://purl.org/dc/terms/title

preferredNamespacePrefixap

URI http://purl.org/vocab/vann/preferredNamespacePrefix

preferredNamespaceUriap

URI http://purl.org/vocab/vann/preferredNamespaceUri

domainIncludesap

URI http://schema.org/domainIncludes

rangeIncludesap

URI http://schema.org/rangeIncludes

definitionap

URI http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#definition

exampleap

URI http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#example

noteap

URI http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#note

nameap

URI http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/name

Namespaces

dct
http://purl.org/dc/terms/
foaf
http://xmlns.com/foaf/0.1/
owl
http://www.w3.org/2002/07/owl#
prov
http://www.w3.org/ns/prov#
rdf
http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#
rdfs
http://www.w3.org/2000/01/rdf-schema#
schema
http://schema.org/
sdo
https://schema.org/
skos
http://www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/core#
sosa
http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/
time
http://www.w3.org/2006/time#
vann
http://purl.org/vocab/vann/
voaf
http://purl.org/vocommons/voaf#
xsd
http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#

Legend

cClasses
opObject Properties
fpFunctional Properties
dpData Properties
dpAnnotation Properties
pProperties
niNamed Individuals