UnitsML

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UnitsML at SciDataCon 2022 — Introducing the Units Summit ​

At SciDataCon 2022, a special "Units Summit" session was convened to address the long-standing challenge of representing units of measure in scientific data exchange. UnitsML was featured as a key approach to solving this problem.

The Units Summit ​

The Units Summit brought together researchers, standards bodies, and data managers to discuss the state of unit representation across scientific disciplines. The session highlighted how ambiguous and inconsistent unit handling continues to impede data interoperability — from laboratory information management to cross-disciplinary data fusion.

The UnitsML presentation ​

The presentation introduced UnitsML as a comprehensive set of models for encoding scientific units of measure, covering:

  • The problem — why existing approaches (code lists, free-text symbols, ad-hoc conventions) fail for reliable data exchange, with real-world examples like the Mars Climate Orbiter loss
  • UnitsML's architecture — structured XML schemas for units, quantities, dimensions, and prefixes, designed to be incorporated into other markup languages
  • UnitsDB — the companion database of over 700 scientific units, quantities, and dimensional information
  • Governance transition — the move from NIST and OASIS to CalConnect TC UNITS as the new standards home
  • International alignment — collaboration with BIPM, ISO, and IEC towards a "Digital SI" infrastructure

Watch the video ​

A recorded video of the full introductory presentation is available:

What's next ​

Following the SciDataCon 2022 presentation, the CalConnect TC UNITS committee continues to advance UnitsML standardization. Key ongoing work includes:

  • UnitsDB 2.0 — an expanded database with improved data quality and coverage
  • Multi-format support — YAML and JSON serializations alongside the existing XML
  • International coordination — working with BIPM on Digital SI alignment
  • Tool development — Ruby gems and other libraries for programmatic access

Learn more ​

  • What is UnitsML — comprehensive introduction
  • UnitsDB — browse the interactive units database
  • Resources — presentations, publications, and documentation
  • About — history, governance, and people behind UnitsML