Identification number: KC-PI-2022/8
Type: Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) mission “Sea 2030”
Project duration: 01.06.2022-30.06.2023
Project manager: Dr. Phys. Aleksejs Zolotarjovs, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia
Total budget: 222 222.22 EUR, from which 200 000.00 is ERDF budget (90%)
The aim of this project is to develop autonomous and energy-independent buoy for the purpose of monitoring water quality and indicators of aquatic microorganisms.
Project summary:
Sea pollution in the Baltic region creates hazards to human health, marine organisms and can create devastating economic losses. This project offers technology for water quality monitoring offering rapid, online, and in-depth analysis of saltwater with the main market focus on sea farms. The technology is a portable, autonomous, fully automated spectroscopy laboratory buoy with networking capabilities and consists of three parts - a novel spectrometer device attached to a buoy; data acquisition/analysis software running on a microcontroller, and a cloud-based database with reference sample data. The main aim of the device in the scope of this project is a data-driven assessment of water quality directly affecting sea farm products, although the device can be used in other fields where continuous water quality measurements are needed (ecology-focused government organisations, harbours, oil platform operations, etc.). The novelty and market advantage of the technology lies in two main properties - a greatly reduced cost of the device when compared to the alternatives and the use of a novel spectrometer offering a much broader range of data thus expanding the list of measurable pollutants, be it through direct or indirect measurement.
Tasks at ISSP UL:
ISSP UL is a project lead therefore is performing all project tasks – development of the prototype (including data analysis algorithms, servers and communication protocols), as well as performs commercialisation activities – communication with the industry and market analysis.
Project progress information
Period 01.09.2023. - 30.09.2023. | 30.09.2023.
In the last month of the project, Spectromarine water quality monitoring technology was summarized and finalized. The main directions of technology development and potential customers are defined. A further action plan has been drawn up, which is planned to be implemented after the end of the project.
Period 01.06.2023. - 31.08.2023. | 31.08.2023.
In the fifth period of the project, Spectromarine water quality monitoring technology is developed by accumulating data from already established sensors, including one that is placed near one of the potential customers - a fish and mussel farm in Spain. In addition to that, other potential customers from other industries are also actively approached - desalination plants, ecological control institutions and water treatment companies, who will add value to the technology by evaluating its applicability in several directions. New versions of both data processing algorithms and the sensor itself are being developed, data points are being adapted for convenient storage with an emphasis on future development towards fully automated data processing.
Period 01.03.2023. - 31.05.2023. | 31.05.2023.
During the fourth period of the project, the Spectromarine water quality monitoring sensor was developed to the stage where it is possible to autonomously deploy it in different test fields. The prototype then was shipped to one of the potential end users – a corporation working with growing of fish and bivalve cultures, for laboratory tests. The test place was chosen to be as close as possible to real application. The data was collected and used to improve automated data analysis protocols, with subsequent improvements of hardware in the next iterations of the device. The team is actively working in demonstration of the technology to as many potential end users as possible.
Period 01.12.2022. - 28.02.2023. | 28.02.2023.
In the third period of the project the finalization of prototype development was performed – including hardware refinement, software development with the aim to make it usable without specific training. Even more tests with calibrated liquids were performed in lab setting to create and refine data analysis algorithms. With nearly complete prototype, it is possible to contact business representatives who demonstrated interest in testing of the equipment in their premises. In addition, a patent was written and consultations with law firms are ongoing.
Period 01.09.2022. - 30.11.2022. | 30.11.2022.
In the second period of the project, the prototype is intensively created, with each iteration increasing the quality of the prototype structure and individual components. Electronic circuits have been transferred to printed circuit boards, sustainable contact connection technologies have been used. Several iterations were carried out in the search for filter-diode combinations, evaluating both the available components and the market requirements for obtainable data. The server is being built, and the equipment is intensively tested in laboratory conditions to receive the first set of data for further comparison. Several discussions were held with potential users of the technology, companies that create similar technologies, as well as with scientific institutions using all available communication channels - associations, previous contacts, recommendations.
Period 01.06.2022. - 31.08.2022. | 31.08.2022.
In the first period of the project, the creation of the prototype is ongoing - several purchases have been made, the electronic circuit has been assembled, both the development of the existing software and the definition of communication protocols and data packets are being carried out. Successfull communication with the data server was established. In addition, much of the attention is devoted to the consumption and production of electricity using solar panels. Simultaneously with the development of the prototype, measurement tests and data adaptation for automatic analysis are carried out in the laboratory - water from various sources is measured with a spectrometer device that will be present in the buoy, and well-defined samples for calibration are developed. From the commercialization side of the project, communication is being carried out with the government water monitoring institutions, discussions have been started with various water pollution experts in several areas - ports, lakes, etc.