Unmanned Airborne Water Observing System

背景：河流的高分辨率监测非常重要，因为河流受到气候变化的严重影响，极端事件的频率/强度正在迅速变化。先进的原位监测技术必须与卫星对地观测（EO）相结合，以获得准确、可靠和时空分辨的信息，为有效的决策支持、风险评估、气候变化适应投资分析和业务预测/监测提供支持。解决的问题：传统的河流水文监测是基于现场和站点的。原位监测网络缺乏空间分辨率，在许多地区已经下降，并且由于各国之间在水资源分配方面的冲突日益增加，数据的可获得性日益受到限制。为了解决这一问题，卫星对地水文监测必须与无人机水文监测技术相结合，在偏远和交通不便地区进行验证和部署，实现可靠、准确的河流流量估算。我们的解决方案是：UAWOS开发一种无人机载水观测系统，提供高空间分辨率/覆盖范围的关键水文变量（测深、测速、水面高程），以及支持管理和决策的基于数据的产品/服务。UAWOS将机载数据流与哥白尼水体和水位服务相结合，进行交叉验证，并根据卫星EO数据估计河流流量。影响：我们预计UAWOS水文监测解决方案将比传统的原位测量便宜2-3倍。UAWOS技术将提供非常高的空间分辨率，其精度与传统的原位监测相当。该技术将支持绿色协议背景下的智能治理/监管，并为欧洲企业创造新的机会，无论是作为一个独立的解决方案，还是与卫星EO相结合。

Background: High-resolution monitoring of rivers is important because rivers are severely affected by climate change and frequency/magnitude of extreme events are changing fast. Advanced in-situ monitoring technologies have to be combined with satellite earth observation (EO) to obtain accurate, reliable and spatio-temporally resolved information for effective decision support, risk assessment, climate change adaptation investment analysis, and operational forecasting/surveillance. Problem being addressed: Traditional hydrometric monitoring of rivers is in-situ and station-based. In-situ monitoring networks lack spatial resolution, have been declining in many regions, and data accessibility is increasingly restricted because of growing conflicts between countries over water resources allocation. In order to solve this problem, hydrometric monitoring using satellite earth observation has to be combined with drone-borne hydrometric monitoring technology for validation, deployment in remote and inaccessible regions, and to enable reliable and accurate river discharge estimation. Our solution: UAWOS develops a drone-borne water observation system providing key hydrometric variables (bathymetry, velocimetry, water surface elevation) at high spatial resolution/coverage, and data-based products/ services supporting management and decision making. UAWOS integrates airborne data streams with Copernicus water bodies and water level services for cross validation and to estimate river discharge from satellite EO data. Impact: We expect that UAWOS hydrometric monitoring solutions will be factor 2-3 cheaper compared to traditional in-situ surveying. UAWOS technology will provide very high spatial resolution with accuracy on par with traditional in-situ monitoring. The technology will support smart governance/regulation in the context of the Green Deal, and create new opportunities for European business, both as a stand-alone solution and in combination with satellite EO.