First Public Working Draft: Semantic Sensor Network Ontology - 2023 Edition

Semantic Sensor Network Ontology - 2023 Edition

https://www.w3.org/TR/2025/WD-vocab-ssn-2023-20250916/

Published by
 Spatio-temporal Data on the Web Working Group

Abstract

The Semantic Sensor Network ontology (SSN) describes actuators and their actuations, sensors and their observations, samplers and their samplings, the procedures implemented, the features of interest and samples changed or studied, and the actuated and observed properties. The core SSN classes and properties are defined using minimal axiomatization in a module called SOSA (Sensor, Observation, Sample, and Actuator) supplemented with additional axiomatization and terms in further modules. These allow SSN to support a wide range of applications and use cases, including satellite imagery, large-scale scientific monitoring, industrial and household infrastructures, social sensing, citizen science, observation-driven ontology engineering, and the Web of Things. Alignments to some existing ontologies and specifications are provided. Patterns for application of SSN are provided. 

The namespace for the core terms is http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/. 

The suggested prefix for the SOSA namespace is sosa. 

The SOSA graph containing the core definitions is available at http://www.w3.org/ns/sosa/. 

The SSN graph with the full axiomatization of the core terms is available at http://www.w3.org/ns/ssn/.

Status of the Document

This section describes the status of this document at the time of its publication. A list of current W3C publications and the latest revision of this technical report can be found in the W3C standards and drafts index. 

General Information 

For OGC this is a Public Draft of a document prepared by the Spatio-temporal Data on the Web Working Group (SDW) — a joint W3C-OGC project (see charter). The document is prepared following W3C conventions. The document is released at this time to solicit public comment. 

This document was published by the Spatio-temporal Data on the Web Working Group as a First Public Working Draft using the Recommendation track.

Publication as a First Public Working Draft does not imply endorsement by W3C and its Members.

This is a draft document and may be updated, replaced, or obsoleted by other documents at any time. It is inappropriate to cite this document as other than a work in progress.

This document was produced by a group operating under the W3C Patent Policy. W3C maintains a public list of any patent disclosures made in connection with the deliverables of the group; that page also includes instructions for disclosing a patent. An individual who has actual knowledge of a patent that the individual believes contains Essential Claim(s) must disclose the information in accordance with section 6 of the W3C Patent Policy.

This document is governed by the 18 August 2025 W3C Process Document.

-- 
This report was automatically generated using https://github.com/w3c/transition-notifier

Received on Tuesday, 16 September 2025 07:08:04 UTC