A Novel Data Acquisition Solution to Expedite Global Oceanographic Research

Oceanographic research vessels (RVs) are deployed globally to gather and analyze timely data pertaining to ocean and climate dynamics. RVs collect data via hundreds of sensors and have a system for storing, processing, and displaying data. However, many RVs operate on legacy systems from the 1990s, leading to a highly inefficient and uncollaborative research ecosystem due to fragmented and incompatible code. OpenRV-DAS is an international collaboration creating a modern, modular and open source framework to replace legacy data acquisition systems. The solution outlined in this paper provides vital new components of that framework, allowing collected data to be more reliably error-checked, filtered, and displayed. It incorporates several transforms essential to the data flow, a redesigned Cached Data Server, and a widget dashboard for real-time data display. The increased efficiency and compatibility enabled by these contributions are key for fast-paced, collaborative research. This solution has been recently deployed on multiple RVs across the globe.