A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and Depth
We designed an out-of-water radar water velocity and depth sensor, which is unique due to its low cost and low power consumption. The sensor is a first at a cost of less than USD 50, which is well suited to previously cost-prohibited high-resolution monitoring schemes. This use case is further suppo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/14/6314 |
| _version_ | 1827731823321415680 |
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| author | Stephen Catsamas Baiqian Shi Miao Wang Jieren Xiao Peter Kolotelo David McCarthy |
| author_facet | Stephen Catsamas Baiqian Shi Miao Wang Jieren Xiao Peter Kolotelo David McCarthy |
| author_sort | Stephen Catsamas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We designed an out-of-water radar water velocity and depth sensor, which is unique due to its low cost and low power consumption. The sensor is a first at a cost of less than USD 50, which is well suited to previously cost-prohibited high-resolution monitoring schemes. This use case is further supported by its out-of-water operation, which provides low-effort installations and longer maintenance-free intervals when compared with in-water sensors. The inclusion of both velocity and depth measurement capabilities allows the sensor to also be used as an all-in-one solution for flowrate measurement. We discuss the design of the sensor, which has been made freely available under open-hardware and open-source licenses. The design uses commonly available electronic components, and a 3D-printed casing makes the design easy to replicate and modify. Not before seen on a hydrology sensor, we include a 3D-printed radar lens in the casing, which boosts radar sensitivity by 21 dB. The velocity and depth-sensing performance were characterised in laboratory and in-field tests. The depth is accurate to within ±6% and ±7 mm and the uncertainty in the velocity measurements ranges from less than 30% to 36% in both laboratory and field conditions. Our sensor is demonstrated to be a feasible low-cost design which nears the uncertainty of current, yet more expensive, velocity sensors, especially when field performance is considered. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:40:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5ac8118bf0be4414a01a317398f8d026 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T00:40:58Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-5ac8118bf0be4414a01a317398f8d0262023-11-18T21:16:00ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202023-07-012314631410.3390/s23146314A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and DepthStephen Catsamas0Baiqian Shi1Miao Wang2Jieren Xiao3Peter Kolotelo4David McCarthy5BoSL Water Monitoring and Control, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, AustraliaBoSL Water Monitoring and Control, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, AustraliaBoSL Water Monitoring and Control, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, AustraliaBoSL Water Monitoring and Control, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, AustraliaBoSL Water Monitoring and Control, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, AustraliaBoSL Water Monitoring and Control, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, AustraliaWe designed an out-of-water radar water velocity and depth sensor, which is unique due to its low cost and low power consumption. The sensor is a first at a cost of less than USD 50, which is well suited to previously cost-prohibited high-resolution monitoring schemes. This use case is further supported by its out-of-water operation, which provides low-effort installations and longer maintenance-free intervals when compared with in-water sensors. The inclusion of both velocity and depth measurement capabilities allows the sensor to also be used as an all-in-one solution for flowrate measurement. We discuss the design of the sensor, which has been made freely available under open-hardware and open-source licenses. The design uses commonly available electronic components, and a 3D-printed casing makes the design easy to replicate and modify. Not before seen on a hydrology sensor, we include a 3D-printed radar lens in the casing, which boosts radar sensitivity by 21 dB. The velocity and depth-sensing performance were characterised in laboratory and in-field tests. The depth is accurate to within ±6% and ±7 mm and the uncertainty in the velocity measurements ranges from less than 30% to 36% in both laboratory and field conditions. Our sensor is demonstrated to be a feasible low-cost design which nears the uncertainty of current, yet more expensive, velocity sensors, especially when field performance is considered.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/14/6314Doppler radarfield verificationIoTlow costlow poweropen hardware |
| spellingShingle | Stephen Catsamas Baiqian Shi Miao Wang Jieren Xiao Peter Kolotelo David McCarthy A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and Depth Sensors Doppler radar field verification IoT low cost low power open hardware |
| title | A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and Depth |
| title_full | A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and Depth |
| title_fullStr | A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and Depth |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and Depth |
| title_short | A Low-Cost Radar-Based IoT Sensor for Noncontact Measurements of Water Surface Velocity and Depth |
| title_sort | low cost radar based iot sensor for noncontact measurements of water surface velocity and depth |
| topic | Doppler radar field verification IoT low cost low power open hardware |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/23/14/6314 |
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