Drone-mounted Water Quality Monitoring Sensor System

Over the past decade drones also referred to as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as novel versatile adaptable and flexible technology that is capable of monitoring and assessing the natural environment. Intelligent Optical Systems Inc. (IOS) is leveraging the advantages provided by this technology to develop a drone-mounted sensing system for water quality monitoring that combines an optical readout unit waterproof optical cable and disposable sensor cartridge to provide spatially and temporally resolved data. The sensing system deployed via drone will be able to provide seamless data collection across large open- surface water bodies with varying depths enabling efficient monitoring and management of water resources. In Phase I we successfully demonstrated the feasibility of a drone-mounted sensing system to detect pH dissolved oxygen nitrate and phosphate levels for water quality monitoring. In Phase II we will further optimize the sensor elements to meet USDA water quality requirements and will design fabricate test and extensively characterize a working drone-mounted sensing system prototype (TRL 4-5) whose performance will be evaluated with field tests conducted in an agricultural watershed and develop a commercial partnership with an established player in the water quality sensor market to mature the prototype and bring it to production.