HYDRONET

Floating Sensorised Networked Robots for Water Monitoring

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Water is one of our most precious and valuable resources. It is important to determine how to fairly use, protect and preserve water. New strategies and new technologies are needed to assess the chemical and ecological status of water bodies and to improve the water quality and quantity. The relatively recent progress in micro-electronics and micro-fabrication technologies has allowed a miniaturization of sensors and devices, opening a series of new exciting possibilities for water monitoring. Moreover, robotics and advanced ICTbased technology can dramatically improve detection and prediction of risk/crisis situations, providing new tools for the global management of the water resources. The HydroNet proposal is aimed at designing, developing and testing a new technological platform for improving the monitoring of water bodies based on a network of autonomous, floating and sensorised mini-robots, embedded in an Ambient Intelligence infrastructure. Chemo- and bio-sensors, embedded in the mobile robots will be developed and used for monitoring in real time physical parameters and pollutants in water bodies. Enhanced mathematical models will be developed for simulating the pollutants transport and processes in rivers, lakes and sea. The unmanaged, self-assembling and self-powered wireless infrastructure, with an ever-decreasing cost per unit, will really support decisional bodies and system integrators in managing water bodies resources. The robots and sensors will be part of an Ambient Intelligence platform, which will integrate not only sensors for water monitoring and robot tasks execution, but also communications backhaul systems, databases technologies, knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) processes for extracting and increasing knowledge on water management. Following the computation on stored data, feedback will be sent back to human actors (supervisors, decision makers, industrial people, etc.) and/or artificial actuators, in order to perform actions.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Water is a vital resource that should be protected with the latest technology. An EU-funded initiative used a network of buoys and remotely controlled robot platforms to identify and measure pollutants in large bodies of water.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Climate change, challenges to biodiversity and different forms of pollution are increasingly menacing our rivers, lakes and seas. The HYDRONET (Floating sensorised networked robots for water monitoring) project developed technology that enables water bodies to be monitored more effectively. To achieve this it brought together experts in environmental science, biology, chemistry, robotics and sensor systems from Israel, Italy, Russia, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Project partners designed a floating platform based on microelectronics and microfabrication sensor technology (i.e. miniature sensors that are integrated into a network of independent floating robots and fixed buoys). The sensors were embedded in an ambient intelligent infrastructure for interactive configuration, tasking and monitoring.

HYDRONET developed a catamaran robot to monitor coastal areas and lakes, as well as a flatboat robot for rivers and lagoons where the water is shallower. In addition, the robots are able to locate a pollutant source and to map the distribution of a pollutant and they feature syringe samplers and a physical probe for collecting water at different depths. The accumulated samples are then processed by the sensor devices to measure pollutants such as mercury, cadmium, chromium and petroleum hydrocarbons.

Traditional monitoring systems are static, while the use of boats and their crews for mapping pollution distribution is expensive. HYDRONET's network of buoys and floating robots armed with sensors will therefore help to reduce monitoring costs and to reach areas not previously accessible with standard monitoring systems.

Researchers tested the robots and buoys in different parts of Italy, including the Gulf of Trieste, the Marano Lagoon, Isonzo River and the northern sea coast of Tuscany. It also tested all the wireless and radio communications that control the robots remotely and guide them autonomously to search for a pollution source. The project results have already reached interested key parties through publications and dedicated events, promising a new area in water monitoring once the technology is fully exploited.

HYDRONET will also be of direct use to policymakers and local authorities, helping to promote sustainable management of water resources through the development of new technologies, tools and services. It will also help improve water quality, thereby providing health, social and economic benefits.