Quadcopter platforms for water sampling and sensor deployment

Networks of systems are pervasive, their behaviour can be highly complex, and network effects are now being perceived as something fundamental to understand what is going around us. This is the reason why networks are receiving a significant attention in physics, biology, climatology, and social, among others. The work undertaken presents a prototype of a low cost and easy to deploy autonomous quadcopter Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of sensor deployment and water sampling. The prototype is empowered by the open-source software toolchain developed by the Laboratório de Sistemas e Tecnologias Subaquáticas (LSTS Underwater Systems and Technology Laboratory) from Porto University. Said software tool chain allows rapid prototyping, testing and enables networked operations, thus extending the capabilities of the quadcopter. Preliminary testing of the aforementioned developments took place at Administração dos Portos do Douro (ADPL) harbour while final field testing took place during the annual Rapid Environment Picture (REP) exercise with successful results.