Development of a low-cost and open-source autonomous surface vehicle for waste stabilization pond monitoring

Abstract

The underperformance of existing wastewater treatment systems represents a constant threat to the environment and public health. The generalized lack of water quantity and quality monitoring data in developing countries makes decision-makers unaware of the current performance of wastewater treatment systems. In ongoing research, a prototype of a low-cost and open-source Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) for monitoring the treatment performance of WSP was developed. The ASV is capable of navigating autonomously along a predefined trajectory based on geographic coordinates, and, meanwhile, performing measurements at different locations within the pond. The challenging circumstances inherent to wastewater management in developing countries were taken into account during the design and construction. The open-source nature allows to integrate any type of sensor according to user needs. The ASV can be applied as a low-cost and flexible tool for a variety of WSP monitoring applications.