Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection

With the rise of industry, river pollution has become increasingly severe. Countries worldwide now face the challenge of effectively and promptly detecting river pollution. Traditional river detection methods rely on manual sampling and subsequent data analysis at various sampling sites, requiring s...

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Main Authors: Chiung-Hsing Chen, Yi-Jie Shang, Yi-Chen Wu, Yu-Chen Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3747
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author Chiung-Hsing Chen
Yi-Jie Shang
Yi-Chen Wu
Yu-Chen Lin
author_facet Chiung-Hsing Chen
Yi-Jie Shang
Yi-Chen Wu
Yu-Chen Lin
author_sort Chiung-Hsing Chen
collection DOAJ
description With the rise of industry, river pollution has become increasingly severe. Countries worldwide now face the challenge of effectively and promptly detecting river pollution. Traditional river detection methods rely on manual sampling and subsequent data analysis at various sampling sites, requiring significant time and labor costs. This article proposes using an electric unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to replace manual river and lake water quality detection, utilizing a 2.4 G high-power wireless data transmission system, an M9N GPS antenna, and an automatic identification system (AIS) to achieve remote and unmanned control. The USV is capable of autonomously navigating along pre-defined routes and conducting water quality measurements without human intervention. The water quality detection system includes sensors for pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). This design uses a modular structure, it is easy to maintain, and it supports long-range wireless communication. These features help to reduce operational and maintenance costs in the long term. The data produced using this method effectively reflect the current state of river water quality and indicate whether pollution is present. Through practical testing, this article demonstrates that the USV can perform precise positioning while utilizing AIS to identify potential surrounding collision risks for the remote planning of water quality detection sailing routes. This autonomous approach enhances the efficiency of water sampling in rivers and lakes and significantly reduces labor requirements. At the same time, this contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14), “Life Below Water”.
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publisher MDPI AG
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spelling doaj-art-4b5444f0ab534ac389e38b065ae2a42c2025-08-20T03:27:36ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-06-012512374710.3390/s25123747Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality DetectionChiung-Hsing Chen0Yi-Jie Shang1Yi-Chen Wu2Yu-Chen Lin3Department of Telecommunication Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811213, TaiwanEnergy and Agile System Department, Metal Industries Research & Development Centre, Kaohsiung 852005, TaiwanDepartment of Telecommunication Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811213, TaiwanDepartment of Telecommunication Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 811213, TaiwanWith the rise of industry, river pollution has become increasingly severe. Countries worldwide now face the challenge of effectively and promptly detecting river pollution. Traditional river detection methods rely on manual sampling and subsequent data analysis at various sampling sites, requiring significant time and labor costs. This article proposes using an electric unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to replace manual river and lake water quality detection, utilizing a 2.4 G high-power wireless data transmission system, an M9N GPS antenna, and an automatic identification system (AIS) to achieve remote and unmanned control. The USV is capable of autonomously navigating along pre-defined routes and conducting water quality measurements without human intervention. The water quality detection system includes sensors for pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). This design uses a modular structure, it is easy to maintain, and it supports long-range wireless communication. These features help to reduce operational and maintenance costs in the long term. The data produced using this method effectively reflect the current state of river water quality and indicate whether pollution is present. Through practical testing, this article demonstrates that the USV can perform precise positioning while utilizing AIS to identify potential surrounding collision risks for the remote planning of water quality detection sailing routes. This autonomous approach enhances the efficiency of water sampling in rivers and lakes and significantly reduces labor requirements. At the same time, this contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14), “Life Below Water”.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3747unmanned surface vehiclewater quality detectionautomatic identification systemprecise positioning
spellingShingle Chiung-Hsing Chen
Yi-Jie Shang
Yi-Chen Wu
Yu-Chen Lin
Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection
Sensors
unmanned surface vehicle
water quality detection
automatic identification system
precise positioning
title Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection
title_full Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection
title_fullStr Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection
title_full_unstemmed Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection
title_short Development of Autonomous Electric USV for Water Quality Detection
title_sort development of autonomous electric usv for water quality detection
topic unmanned surface vehicle
water quality detection
automatic identification system
precise positioning
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/12/3747
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AT yijieshang developmentofautonomouselectricusvforwaterqualitydetection
AT yichenwu developmentofautonomouselectricusvforwaterqualitydetection
AT yuchenlin developmentofautonomouselectricusvforwaterqualitydetection