Summary of DRONE BUOY DRIFTS ALONG THE GULF STREAM FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE
Wilson is a low-cost, autonomous ocean drifter built to demonstrate citizen science using off-the-shelf hardware. Launched into the Gulf Stream, it passively drifts while collecting environmental data via solar power and satellite uplinks. The project successfully tracks position and temperature, proving that scientific research can be conducted with minimal budget and simple components like an Arduino and Pelican case.
Parts used in the Wilson Drifter:
- Pelican watertight case
- Arduino Pro Trinket
- GPS receiver
- Satellite modem
- LiPo battery charger
- 9 W solar panel
- GPS antenna
- Iridium uplink antenna
- Hygrometer
- Thermometer
- Keel
- Chains and rocks (for weighting)
- Water temperature sensor
It may be named after the most famous volleyball in history, but “Wilson” isn’t just a great conversationalist. [Hayden Brophy] built the free-drifting satellite buoy to see if useful science can be done with off-the-shelf hardware and on a shoestring budget. And from the look of the data so far, Wilson is doing pretty well.
Wilson belongs to a class of autonomous vessels known as drifters, designed to float along passively in the currents of the world’s ocean. The hull of [Hayden]’s drifter is a small Pelican watertight case, which contains all the electronics: Arduino Pro Trinket, GPS receiver, a satellite modem, and a charger for the LiPo battery. The lid of the case is dominated by a 9 W solar panel, plus the needed antennas for GPS and the Iridium uplink and a couple of sensors, like a hygrometer and a thermometer. To keep Wilson bobbing along with his solar panel up, there’s a keel mounted to the bottom of the case, weighted with chains and rocks, and containing a temperature sensor for the water.
Wilson is programmed to wake up every 12 hours and uplink position and environmental data as he drifts along. The drifter was launched into the heart of the Gulf Stream on August 8, about 15 nautical miles off Marathon Key in Florida, by [Captain Jim] and the very happy crew of the “Raw Deal”. As of this writing, the tracking data shows that Wilson is just off the coast of Miami, 113 nautical miles from launch, and drifting along at a stately pace of 2.5 knots. Where the buoy ends up is anyone’s guess, but we’ve seen similar buoys make it all the way across the Atlantic, so here’s hoping that hurricane season is kind to Wilson.
We think this is great, and congratulations to [Hayden] for organizing a useful and interesting project.
Source: DRONE BUOY DRIFTS ALONG THE GULF STREAM FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE
- What is the primary purpose of the Wilson buoy?
To see if useful science can be done with off-the-shelf hardware and on a shoestring budget. - How often does the drifter wake up to transmit data?
It is programmed to wake up every 12 hours. - What type of hull was used for the Wilson drifter?
The hull is a small Pelican watertight case. - Where was the Wilson drifter launched?
It was launched about 15 nautical miles off Marathon Key in Florida. - What powers the electronics and sensors on the buoy?
A 9 W solar panel powers the system. - How fast is the drifter moving as of the report?
It is drifting along at a pace of 2.5 knots. - What specific sensors are mounted on the lid of the case?
The lid features a hygrometer and a thermometer. - How is the keel weighted to keep the solar panel upright?
The keel is weighted with chains and rocks.
