Do it yourself: applications of a robust autonomous water monitoring system by non-roboticists

Advancements in technology have increased our capacity for data collection related to water quality monitoring. Specifically, the integration of autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) technology into surface water sampling has increased our ability to track spatial and temporal changes in water quality parameters. However, these advancements come with their own challenges and limitations. Commercially available ASV technology can be costly in initial investment and maintenance over time, building an ASV from scratch can be time intensive and require significant knowledge in computer science and engineering. Here we describe selected applications of a low cost (~$5000), robust, user-friendly ASV system, Catabot, to the study of freshwater lakes by non-roboticists working in close collaboration with roboticists. Since 2021, Catabot has been successfully used in limnological applications exploring spatial heterogeneity of water quality parameters in lake surface waters. We highlight the use of Catabot in an undergraduate field course for exploring spatial heterogeneity of chlorophyll a in the surface waters of littoral and pelagic zones in a small pond (Post Pond, NH) during summer 2024. As well as applications of Catabot for tracking tributary plume inputs of specific conductance in an oligotrophic lake (Lake Sunapee, NH), exploring how plume distribution changes in relation to precipitation events during summers 2021 and 2023. These case studies highlight how partnerships with roboticists can advance limnology and provide real-world context for further advances in robotics.

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Quin Shingai, Dartmouth College (quin.shingai@gmail.com)

Authors:

Mingi Jeong, Dartmouth College  (mingi.jeong.gr@dartmouth.edu)

Elizabeth Berendsen, Dartmouth College  (elizabeth.berendsen@gmail.com)

Tehya Kloster, Lake Sunapee Protective Association  (klostertr@gmail.com)

Kizito Masaba, Amazon Robotics  (kmasaba21@gmail.com)

Monika Rozenere, Binghamton University  (mroznere@binghamton.edu)

Emily Arsenault, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry  (emarsena@esf.edu)

Denise Bruesewitz, Colby College  (dabruese@colby.edu)

Holly Ewing, Bates College  (hewing@bates.edu)

Kathryn Cottingham, Dartmouth College  (kathryn.l.cottingham@dartmouth.edu)

Alberto Quattrini Li, Dartmouth College  (alberto.quattrini.li@dartmouth.edu)