Oceanic Discovery at Supercon 2024: Harnessing Open-Source Technology for Deep-Sea Expedition
In 2016, engineer Wayne Pavalko launched an ocean-going buoy – now known as the Maker Buoy – that surpassed expectations by surviving without human intervention for over two years and returning valuable data throughout its journey. The buoy, a combination of off-the-shelf sensor boards, an Arduino microcontroller, and an Iridium Short-Burst Data (SBD) modem within a simple watertight box, floats on solar power and drifts with ocean currents.
Pavalko, who spoke about the Maker Buoy's journey at the 2024 Supercon event, (Title: Adventures in Ocean Tech: The Maker Buoy Journey) originally estimated the buoy would last a few weeks to a month. However, when communication was lost after 771 days, he recognized the potential for reducing costs and complexity in ocean research.
By using readily available components, the Maker Buoyovercomes the opportunity cost of employing marine-grade materials. Most of the electronic components can be sourced from Adafruit, while the most expensive component is the RockBLOCK 9603 Iridium satellite modem, priced at $299. Even the watertight container that holds all the electronics is pedestrian, phoning home to Adafruit to hug your phone or camera on a boat trip to keep it dry and afloat.
The first Maker Buoy was perhaps over-engineered, with each internal component housed separately in waterproof compartments. Current designs feature a 3D-printed internal frame to secure all hardware and maintain a more efficient arrangement. The primary components – solar panel, GPS, satellite modem, primary PCB, battery, and desiccant container – sit on opposing levels to maximize functionality. The solar panel, GPS, and satellite modem enjoy clear views of the sky, while the primary PCB, battery, and desiccant container find their home at the bottom.
A 16-inch long PVC pipe is attached to the bottom of the box, providing a passive stabilizer that allows the buoy to stay upright in water yet flips it back over should it invert due to wave action. This simplicity and effectiveness have been validated by data returned from Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) showing that Maker Buoys can right themselves even after subjected to storm-force conditions.
Pavalko likens the development of the Maker Buoy to operating a spacecraft due to the remote nature of the hardware and the limited technology platform available for data exchange. However, the challenge increases when considering the multiple limitations of the Iridium communications network, which cannot accommodate large data payloads or enable remote software updates. To mitigate this, the Maker Buoy includes a hardware watchdog timer that can monitor systems and reboot the hardware if necessary, much like unplugging your router when your Internet disconnects – if your Internet happened to be satellite-powered and located in the middle of the ocean.
In 2018, a Dutch non-profit expressed interest in purchasing 50 Maker Buoys to track the movement of plastic waste in the Pacific. To meet this demand and cater to commercial and educational users, Pavalko streamlined production with an assembly-line approach, ensuring consistent results for paying customers. His personal story is a reminder that a fresh approach can help tackle seemingly impossible problems.
(Headline: A Simple, Solar-Powered Ocean Buoy Transforms Ocean Research)In a world where the challenges of ocean research demand beefy hardware and expensive, large-scale equipment, a little planning can go a long way. Wayne Pavalko's solar-powered Maker Buoys, introduced in 2016, showed just that, revolutionizing the way marine scientists and researchers collect data in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and elsewhere in the world's oceans. (citation needed)
The Maker Buoy, built using off-the-shelf sensors boards, an Arduino microcontroller, and an Iridium Short-Burst Data (SBD) modem in a simple watertight box, drifts freely with ocean currents while collecting valuable data on temperature, salinity, and more. Its first iteration, launched in 2016, far exceeded expectations by surviving for over two years without human intervention.
Pavalko not only manufactures the buoys in his home basement but also delivers ready-to-deploy variants for commercial and educational purposes. The production process has become a project in its own right, with repetitive tasks being made more efficient through jigs and other tools.
The Maker Buoy has been lauded for its adaptability and affordability, with opportunities such as the Dutch non-profit's purchase of 50 buoys to study plastic waste in the Pacific showcasing the technology's potential. The project's success story serves as an inspiration for researchers and makers alike, demonstrating how a fresh approach can help tackle problems that might initially appear insurmountable.
- The Maker Buoy, a combination of off-the-shelf sensor boards, an Arduino microcontroller, and an Iridium Short-Burst Data (SBD) modem, is made using readily available components, with many of the electronic components being sourced from Adafruit.
- The Maker Buoy's success story in ocean research is rooted in its minimal hardware, making it an affordable and adaptable solution, like an environmental-science project that leverages everyday electronics and Technology.
- Engineer Wayne Pavalko's creation, the Maker Buoy, has revolutionized data collection in the oceans through DIY electronic integration and PCB technology, providing valuable insights into parameters such as temperature and salinity.
- Wayne Pavalko's assembly-line approach to production ensures consistency for commercial and educational users, transforming the Maker Buoy from a homemade invention to a scalable, industrial-strength ocean research tool.
