The AMuSeD project is developing a modular platform for autonomous measurement buoys (drifters) that can be flexibly equipped with a variety of sensors. Its aim is the high-resolution and long-term monitoring of environmental parameters to support oceanography, climate research, and environmental studies. The modular design allows for the future integration of physical, chemical, or biological sensors, as well as the combination with technologies for energy supply and data transmission.
Drifters are an established technology in oceanography. They drift on the water surface, follow ocean currents, and continuously transmit their position. Depending on their configuration, drifters can record parameters such as temperature, conductivity (salinity), currents, or nutrient content, providing valuable data for the study of oceanographic processes.
However, integrating multiple sensors places high demands on electronics, data processing, energy supply, and sensor technology. The AMuSeD system therefore aims to provide a modular, cost-effective platform that can be flexibly adapted to different measurement tasks while allowing the reuse of existing sensors.
Current developments focus on increasing the added value of the drifting platform through intelligent control. In the future, an autonomous diving module is intended to position the drifters at variable depths. In combination with suitable sensors, this will allow vertical profiles to be created and – through autonomous control – dynamic structures such as current fronts to be identified and specifically targeted.
Key focal points of the project include:
- Development of a modular hardware and software architecture for data acquisition, processing, storage, and transmission
- Energy harvesting from wave motion to meet the higher power demands of additional sensors
- Development of compact, cost-effective sensor technologies
- Integration of an autonomous diving module for variable-depth measurements and monitoring of dynamic structures
Through this combination of modularity, energy autonomy, and intelligent control, the project aims to create a versatile platform that enables the study of small-scale currents, temperature variations, and material fluxes in shelf seas such as the German Bight and other marine regions – all central factors for understanding climate and marine ecosystems.
