RoBiMo – The tasks of scientific divers for robot-assisted fresh-water monitoring

As part of the RoBiMo project, a measuring system for holistic, spatially resolved recording of the condition and processes in inland waters is to be developed. This system should measure regular, continuous and spatially resolved parameters of water quality in stagnant inland waters. For that, the swimming robot "Elisabeth" from the TU Bergakademie Freiberg will be enhanced and used. The measurements are recorded and placed on a winch system using a measuring chain of sensor elements (like temperature, conductivity, turbidity). The ingress of groundwater should also be detected like the respiration process of the lakes. The navigation of the swimming robot takes place autonomously from a base station on the bank due to a network-independent connection. For the evaluation and visualization of the measurement results, the methods of artificial intelligence and virtual reality are used. Local and seasonal changes in the water body can be documented.
With scientific divers, a comparison of the measured values "ground truth" with water samples and in-situ measurements should be realised. For that, an intensive investigation is necessary. Furthermore, the scientific divers can manipulate the sensors in a targeted manner and check the functionality in situ. For obstacle detection the photogrammetry process and reconstruction are used and shown in an example of the Flodden quarry in Meissen, Saxony. The following text should give an overview of the project after 1 year and the work of the scientific divers.