S.I. Petersen

Bio: S.I. Petersen is an academic researcher from University of California, Santa Cruz. The author has contributed to research in topics: Ocean color & Buoy. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 14 citations.

Prototype autonomous mini-buoy for use in a wireless networked, ocean surface sensor array

Abstract: We report the design, prototype construction and initial testing of a small minibuoy that is aimed at use in a coordinated, wireless networked array of buoys for near-surface ocean sensing. This vehicle is designed to fill the gap between larger ocean surface vessels and/or moored buoys and subsurface gliders. The size and cost is low enough that these versatile sensor platforms can be deployed easily and in quantity. Since these minibuoys are mobile, they can keep station in currents as large as 25 cm/s or move as an adaptive, coordinated sensor array for high resolution in both time and space. The buoy is about 74 cm (29 in) long, 41 cm (16 in) wide (max) and weighs about 14.5 kg (32 lbs); hence, it can be deployed easily from small craft. Deployment times are about 1 to 2 days or more - longer with solar power. The buoy structure is fiberglass and PVC with two 2 W DC motors. Control is done with GPS and magnetic heading sensors and a PID scheme to maintain course. Communication is via a 900 MHz system with a range of 1 to 2 km and plans for a longer range HF/VHF or satellite system. The initial sensor system is designed for ocean hyperspectral observations as surface truth for airborne system calibration and validation and other ocean color applications. Acoustic, wave, air & water temperature sensors as well as GPS are included. The Mark I prototype has been successfully tested in a pool with manual control.

Autonomous Minibuoy Prototype for a Coordinated, Wireless Networked, Ocean-Surface-Sensor Array

Abstract: We report the design, prototype construction and initial testing of a small minibuoy that is aimed at use in a coordinated, wireless networked array of buoys for ocean surface sensing, both above and below the surface This vehicle is designed to fill the gap between larger ocean surface vessels and/or moored buoys and subsurface gliders The size and cost is low enough that these versatile sensor platforms can be deployed easily and in quantity Since these minibuoys are mobile, they can keep station in currents as large as 25 cm/s or move as an adaptive, coordinated sensor array for high resolution in both time and space The buoy is about 29 inches (74 cm) long, 16 inches (41 cm) wide (maximum) and weighs about 32 pounds (145 kg); hence, it can be deployed easily from small craft Deployment times are estimated to be one or two days or more depending on propulsion requirements and battery pack -longer with solar power The buoy structure is fiberglass and PVC with two 2 W electric motors Control is affected by GPS and magnetic heading sensors and a PID scheme to maintain heading and required speed Communication is via a 900 MHz system with a range of a km or two with plans for a longer range HF/VHF or satellite system The initial sensor system is designed for ocean hyperspectral observations as surface truth for an airborne system calibration and validation as well as other ocean color applications Acoustic, wave, air & water temperature sensors as well as GPS are included The Mark I prototype has been successfully tested in a pool with manual control of movement

Applications of Wireless Sensor Networks in Marine Environment Monitoring: A Survey

Abstract: With the rapid development of society and the economy, an increasing number of human activities have gradually destroyed the marine environment. Marine environment monitoring is a vital problem and has increasingly attracted a great deal of research and development attention. During the past decade, various marine environment monitoring systems have been developed. The traditional marine environment monitoring system using an oceanographic research vessel is expensive and time-consuming and has a low resolution both in time and space. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have recently been considered as potentially promising alternatives for monitoring marine environments since they have a number of advantages such as unmanned operation, easy deployment, real-time monitoring, and relatively low cost. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art technologies in the field of marine environment monitoring using wireless sensor networks. It first describes application areas, a common architecture of WSN-based oceanographic monitoring systems, a general architecture of an oceanographic sensor node, sensing parameters and sensors, and wireless communication technologies. Then, it presents a detailed review of some related projects, systems, techniques, approaches and algorithms. It also discusses challenges and opportunities in the research, development, and deployment of wireless sensor networks for marine environment monitoring.

Internet of Things in Marine Environment Monitoring: A Review.

Abstract: Marine environment monitoring has attracted more and more attention due to the growing concern about climate change. During the past couple of decades, advanced information and communication technologies have been applied to the development of various marine environment monitoring systems. Among others, the Internet of Things (IoT) has been playing an important role in this area. This paper presents a review of the application of the Internet of Things in the field of marine environment monitoring. New technologies including advanced Big Data analytics and their applications in this area are briefly reviewed. It also discusses key research challenges and opportunities in this area, including the potential application of IoT and Big Data in marine environment protection.

Distributed system of autonomous buoys for scalable deployment and monitoring of large waterbodies

Abstract: The design, construction, and testing of a large distributed system of novel, small, low-cost, autonomous surface vehicles in the form of self-propelled buoys capable of operating in open waters is reported. We detail the successful testing of collective behaviors of systems with up to 50 buoys, achieving scalable deployment and dynamic monitoring in unstructured environments. This constitutes the largest distributed multi-robot system of its kind reported to date. We confirm the robustness of the system to the loss of multiple units for different collective behaviors such as flocking, navigation, and area coverage. For dynamic area monitoring, we introduce a new metric to quantify coverage effectiveness. Our system exhibits near optimal scalability for fixed target areas and a high degree of flexibility when the shape of the target changes with time. This system demonstrates the potential of distributed multi-robot systems for the pervasive and persistent monitoring of coastal and inland water environments.