An Autonomous Underwater Recorder Based on a Single Board Computer

Autor(es)

Caldas-Morgan, Manuel ^[1] ; Alvarez-Rosario, Alexander ^[1] ; Padovese, Linilson Rodrigues ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Mech Engn, Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: PLoS One; v. 10, n. 6 JUN 15 2015.
• Citações Web of Science: 3

Resumo

As industrial activities continue to grow on the Brazilian coast, underwater sound measurements are becoming of great scientific importance as they are essential to evaluate the impact of these activities on local ecosystems. In this context, the use of commercial underwater recorders is not always the most feasible alternative, due to their high cost and lack of flexibility. Design and construction of more affordable alternatives from scratch can become complex because it requires profound knowledge in areas such as electronics and low-level programming. With the aim of providing a solution; a well succeeded model of a highly flexible, low-cost alternative to commercial recorders was built based on a Raspberry Pi single board computer. A properly working prototype was assembled and it demonstrated adequate performance levels in all tested situations. The prototype was equipped with a power management module which was thoroughly evaluated. It is estimated that it will allow for great battery savings on long-term scheduled recordings. The underwater recording device was successfully deployed at selected locations along the Brazilian coast, where it adequately recorded animal and manmade acoustic events, among others. Although power consumption may not be as efficient as that of commercial and/or micro-processed solutions, the advantage offered by the proposed device is its high customizability, lower development time and inherently, its cost. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 12/04785-0 - Observatório acústico submarino para monitoramento de parques marinhos
• Beneficiário: Linilson Rodrigues Padovese
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 12/23016-7 - Plataforma de sensoriamento acústico submarino para redes de monitoramento
• Beneficiário: Manuel Alfredo Caldas Morgan
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Pós-Doutorado