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- Autonomous patrol of water resources in natural and artificial systemsPublication . Barros, F.M.; Pinho, Henrique J. O.; Magalhães, Hugo; Ferreira, Carlos; Matos, PedroWater resources, being one of the most important natural resources, face major threats due to contamination by pollutants of various types and origins. Consequently, preservation, protection and sustainable use of natural resources is increasingly important. The “DragonFly” project aims to develop a system that solves the need for monitoring the quality of surface water in natural and artificial systems of different types, on a continuous and regular basis. It is intended to acquire water quality data in order to identify sources of pollution or to estimate the discharge and dispersion of contaminants along water courses. The system was specified to allow the acquisition of a specific set of environmental data that characterize the aquatic environment and help to detect variations (deviation) in water quality, such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, redox, conductivity, salinity, and dissolved solids. The Castelo do Bode reservoir, was adopted in this work as a data acquisition area and for the development and testing of the system, due to its geographical proximity. It is the main national water reservoir for public supply, with a maximum extension of 60 km, it occupies an area of about 3 300 ha. The acquisition of real-time data is an essential condition in this type of application, as it will allow the immediate detection of pollution points and timely action on it. The available data continuity and regularity will allow the support of the aquatic environment studies and the forecasting systems modelling of future conditions, guiding the decision processes. To achieve this objective, a physical prototype was developed based on a floating electric vehicle (ASV ), to which several modules and/or satellite vehicles can be added, and which is already implemented at an advanced stage. In order to guarantee the continuity and regularity of the available data and to reduce system maintenance times and costs, it is necessary to ensure the autonomous operation of the supply system. Energy storage systems, autonomous refueling systems and independent energy conversion and storage systems are now being designed. The design of a versatile real-time water quality monitoring system contributes to the management and protection of water resources thus it can increase security in the water supply of populations and turn the resources management more efficient and sustainable.
- Robotic Vehicles For Fish Farming Applications - An OverviewPublication . Barros, F.M.; Neves, Pedro; Magalhães, Hugo; Ferreira, Carlos; Matos, Pedro; Diogo, HugoIndustrialization in the aquaculture sector is associated with the introduction of technology, since a large number of parameters have to be controlled in modern aquaculture systems. Some of these operations require sophisticated tools and specially designed facilities that have evolved through intensive research and great innovation (Mustafa 2016). Some of the custom-made technological inventions for aquaculture operations include, for example, the creation of semi-submersible cages, the implementation of automatic feeders and water recirculation systems. The use of robotics has increasingly found space among applications in the aquatic environment. The main objective is to collect information about the environment and, consequently, to manage resources better (Borović 2011). There have been reports of the use of robotic vehicles in aquaculture in applications such as: monitoring of water quality parameters, reduction of biological pests or unwanted predators and other agricultural and aquaculture applications. Boats, underwater vehicles and autonomous airplanes were designed and built to monitor and potentially manage aquaculture facilities, natural water bodies and drinking water (Dunbabin, 2009). The visible benefit of this technology is that it takes aquaculture systems to the next level, from the application of computer control and Artificial Intelligence to a greater degree of automation, effective management and decision making. The present work reviews some of the most recent robotic vehicles applied in fish farming applications and discusses its advantages and limitations.