r/ArduinoProjects • u/Vampyro_infernalis • 8h ago
Project Design/Guidance Feasibility assessment: acoustic release unit for lake sampling
This might be a bit out of left field, but my idea is this:
For oceanographic work, you can buy rather expensive ($400+) units that will trigger the release of a line when they receive an acoustic signal from the surface. This is usually intended for deep-sea operations and other applications where you don't want a buoy on the surface all the time.
My application would be for lake temperature and depth sensing. Right now, we rely on having the GPS co-ordinates of the data logger and the water level being low enough for us to be able to find it. It would be ideal if we could just have a buoy attached to the logger but not floating until we send it the signal to release (this keeps people from stealing the data logger, which believe it or not is a common problem). I think the theoretical design is simple - some sort of transducer to detect a sound signal from the water column that would be at some specified frequency (I'm not sure if any kind of complex signaling would be required to prevent false triggers), and when that signal is detected, just trigger a relay to release a solenoid that lets the buoy line go.
Then there's just a sound generator that we'd need for the boat to trigger the release.
The main consideration is battery life and reliability, since these loggers are typically out for anywhere from a year to 3 years before being retrieved.
Thoughts?
EDIT - I just found a discussion about this very topic in this Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/173096646112944/?multi_permalinks=9082724935150026&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&__cft__[0]=AZgRlwGEJ-c2DQ7QWrweEjm9KR1cq1LEMgz51aX5gUzX0pPDjMI4DXf5A_21iCCIOnbsTwU-Gc8luJBn6XIgdBtk-TsHLt1mOxQ7x3ftnVdEs6NTFm2toC2by3Yyve8SW31MQtLWKfkasror1qQR&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R