AQUASENSE — Innovative Network for Training in wAter and Food QUality monitoring using Autonomous SENSors and IntelligEnt Data Gathering and Analysis

Results in brief

Innovative Network for Training in wAter and Food QUality monitoring using Autonomous SENSors and IntelligEnt Data Gathering and Analysis

Prevention of water pollution is one of the major issues in the global environmental protection system. Water quality directly impacts our lives as drinks or food made from it affect our health. Over the last decade, water quality observing technology has risen to the challenge of scientists to identify and mitigate poor water quality by providing them with cost-effective tools that can take measurements of essential biogeochemical variables autonomously. Yet, despite these options becoming more readily available, there is a gap between the technology and the end-user (including the investigators and technicians that deploy these technologies) due to a collective lack of training, in-depth knowledge, and skilled workers who can meet new and emerging challenges. The traditional method of WQM, such as ‘sample collection at location and analysis in the lab’ causes multiple issues, including sensing data accuracy, processing time and low-frequency data collection. To overcome this, a connected networking sensing system with an advanced sensor deployment method is an important approach. This AQUASENSE project aims to resolve the challenges in WQM and provide excellent training to 15 early-stage researchers (ESRs) in the field of water quality through autonomous sensors and autonomous deployment and soft skills. The ESRs trained through this project are expected to fill the skill gap and contribute towards strengthening Europe’s human resources and industry competitiveness in the strategic fields of aqua/agriculture and sensing technologies.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The deterioration of water quality, caused by climatic/seasonal changes, or industrial waste etc. is a major global concern. Over the last decade, water quality observing technology has risen to the challenge of scientists to identify and mitigate poor water quality by providing them with cost-effective tools that can take measurements of essential biogeochemical variables autonomously. Yet, despite these options becoming more readily available, there is a gap between the technology and the end-user (including the investigators and technicians that deploy these technologies) due to a collective lack of training, in-depth knowledge, and skilled workers who can meet new and emerging challenges. There is also a disconnect between data quality, data gathering by autonomous sensors and data analysis, which is a major obstacle, as the sensors are already being deployed (e.g. through buoys, boats etc.). AQUASENSE will address these challenges through 15 early stage researchers (ESRs), who will receive 540 person-month of unparalleled multidisciplinary training in the field of water quality monitoring. Each ESR will be mentored by carefully selected experts from academia and industry in 9 European countries (UK, Germany, Ireland, Serbia, Sweden, Italy, Poland, Austria, Estonia) and will have access to state-of-the-art equipment to develop autonomous sensors for improved data quality. The autonomous underwater robots and drones will be used to improve the data gathering and AI methods will be used to improve the data analysis. Hands-on project training will be supplemented with formal training courses in relevant fields such as new materials, sensors fabrication, wireless communication, system integration, and robotics, and a variety of complementary courses such as IPR, grant writing and exploiting the scientific results. Mobility within the network will ensure exposure to complementary academic and industrial research environments.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW · GlasgowCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
AS TFTAK · TallinnEstonia
EVOLOGICS GMBH · BERLINGermany
FONDAZIONE BRUNO KESSLER · TrentoItaly
LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITET · LinkopingSweden
PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY LIMITED · PlymouthUnited Kingdom
SCOTTISH ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY · STIRLINGUnited Kingdom
SIEC BADAWCZA LUKASIEWICZ - INSTYTUT MIKROELEKTRONIKI I FOTONIKI · WarszawaPoland
SILICON AUSTRIA LABS GMBH · GrazAustria
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH · EdinburghUnited Kingdom
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER · ExeterUnited Kingdom
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK · CorkIreland
UNIVERZITET U NOVOM SADU FAKULTET TEHNICKIH NAUKA · Novi SadSerbia
WEST AQUILA SRL · L AQUILAItaly

AQUASENSE · Innovative Network for Training in wAter and Food QUality monitoring using Autonomous SENSors and IntelligEnt Data Gathering and Analysis

Results in brief

Innovative Network for Training in wAter and Food QUality monitoring using Autonomous SENSors and IntelligEnt Data Gathering and Analysis

Project objective

Participants

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