Real time remote data acquisition for environmental studies

Data collection in shallow water areas normally requires setting up sensors in several places. In addition to being redundant and time consuming, this task when performed manually, has a high chance of disturbing the test area. This paper describes a National Aeronautics and Space Administration-funded project to develop a remote-controlled, shallow-draft vehicle designed as a supplemental tool for our studies of the South Texas Coastal waters. The boat is equipped with onboard computers, water quality instruments, GPS, digital compass, a depth sensor, a remote control receiver, and a receiver/transmitter radio. The prototype acquires salinity, temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Acquired data is transmitted wirelessly via a radio to a remote control station in real-time and data is logged to a PC for later processing.