Workflow for defining a multimodal crowdsourced or microtasking project

A computer-readable storage medium excluding transitory signals and carrying instructions that, when executed, are capable of causing a computing system to perform a method comprising:

• providing a user interface for defining, in a crowdsourcing platform, a crowdsourced project for collecting multimodal data from a set of crowdsourced workers while at least some of the crowdsourced workers perform an action associated with the crowdsourced project, the providing comprising:
• causing to be displayed at the user interface one or more first controls for specifying worker requirements or project environment parameters;
• defining worker requirements or project environment parameters for the crowdsourced project in response to first user input operating the first controls;
• causing to be displayed at the user interface one or more second controls for specifying project parameters relating to collection of one or more of the following types of data:
• image data, video data, audio data, physiological data, or location-related data;
• defining project parameters relating to collection of values of two or more of the displayed types of data for the crowdsourced project in response to second user input operating the second controls;
• and
• causing to be displayed at the user interface a discard control for discarding one or more of the defined worker requirements, the defined project environment parameters, or the defined project parameters, and in response to receiving user input activating the discard control, deleting the one or more of the defined worker requirements, the defined project environment parameters, or the defined project parameters corresponding the user input activating the discard control;
• causing, by the crowdsourcing platform, at least one sensor associated with each of a plurality of crowdsourced workers to collect the values of the defined project parameters from each of the plurality of crowdsourced workers while the crowdsourced workers perform the action associated with the crowdsourced project;
• and
• packaging, by the crowdsourcing platform, the values collected from the at least one sensor associated with each of the plurality of crowdsourced workers by automatically aligning time sequences of values generated by the at least one sensor associated with each crowdsourced worker relative to a time during each crowdsourced worker's performance of the action, the alignment comprising:
• processing a first time sequence of values generated, during a first time interval, by a first sensor associated with a first crowdsourced worker to detect a first burst signal in the first time sequence of values emitted at a first time during the first crowdsourced worker's performance of the action;
• processing a second time sequence of values generated, during a second time interval different than the first time interval, by a second sensor associated with a second crowdsourced worker to detect a second burst signal in the second time sequence of values emitted at a second time during the second crowdsourced worker's performance of the action;
• and
• synchronizing the first time sequence of values with the second time sequence of values by temporally aligning:
• (a) the first burst signal in the first time sequence of values emitted at the first time during the first crowdsourced worker's performance of the action, with
• (b) the second burst signal in the second time sequence of values emitted at the second time during the second crowdsourced worker's performance of the action.

A method in a computing system comprising:

• providing a user interface for defining, in a crowdsourcing platform, a crowdsourced project for collecting multimodal data from a set of crowdsourced workers while at least some of the crowdsourced workers perform an action associated with the crowdsourced project, the providing comprising:
• causing to be displayed at the user interface one or more first controls for specifying worker requirements or project environment parameters;
• defining worker requirements or project environment parameters for the crowdsourced project in response to first user input operating the first controls;
• causing to be displayed at the user interface one or more second controls for specifying project parameters relating to collection of one or more of the following types of data:
• video data, audio data, physiological data, or location-related data;
• defining project parameters relating to collection of values of two or more of the displayed types of data for the crowdsourced project in response to second user input operating the second controls;
• causing to be displayed at the user interface a discard control for discarding one or more of the defined worker requirements, the defined project environment parameters, or the defined project parameters, wherein in response to receiving user input activating the discard control, deleting the one or more of the defined worker requirements, the defined project environment parameters, or the defined project parameters corresponding the user input activating the discard control;
• and
• causing to be displayed at the user interface a submit control for submitting defined values of the defined worker requirements, the defined project environment parameters, and the defined project parameters;
• in response to receiving user input activating the submit control, creating a crowdsourced project definition for collecting multimodal data from a set of workers using the defined values of the defined worker requirements, the defined project environment parameters, and the defined project parameters;
• conducting a crowdsourced project in accordance with the created crowdsourced project definition, wherein conducting the crowdsourced project in accordance with the created crowdsourced project definition comprises:
• causing at least one sensor on a wearable device worn by each of a plurality of crowdsourced workers to collect values of one or more of the defined project parameters;
• and
• packaging the values collected from the at least one sensor associated with each of the plurality of crowdsourced workers by automatically aligning time sequences of values generated by the at least one sensor associated with each crowdsourced worker relative to a time during each crowdsourced worker's performance of the action, the alignment comprising:
• processing a first time sequence of values generated, during a first time interval, by a first sensor associated with a first crowdsourced worker to detect a first burst signal in the first time sequence of values emitted at a first time during the first crowdsourced worker's performance of the action;
• processing a second time sequence of values generated, during a second time interval different than the first time interval, by a second sensor associated with a second crowdsourced worker to detect a second burst signal in the second time sequence of values emitted at a second time during the second crowdsourced worker's performance of the action;
• and
• synchronizing the first time sequence of values with the second time sequence of values by temporally aligning:
• (a) the first burst signal in the first time sequence of values emitted at the first time during the first crowdsourced worker's performance of the action, with
• (b) the second burst signal in the second time sequence of values emitted at the second time during the second crowdsourced worker's performance of the action.