Embedded System for In-Situ Measurement of Sediment Inertial Dynamics in Marine Environments

In recent years, natural hazards such as coastal erosion, flooding, and landslides have become common events due to climate change and global warming. Understanding sediment transport is crucial for addressing these extreme events as well as to achieve an in-depth comprehension of physical processes underlying sediment transport. However, existing technologies are expensive, require frequent human-led testing, and lack long-term acquisition capabilities, making extremely complex their deployment in more challenging environments. Moreover, the unique obstacles presented by underwater (UW) settings, such as communication limitations, continuous thermal and physical stress, and the need for ultra-low power design due to off-grid operation, mean that many sediment movement parameters in aquatic environments remain completely unmonitored. This work proposes a novel ultra-low power IoT (Internet of Things) system to perform sediment inertial dynamics measurements and tracking in adverse marine environments. Starting from this prototype, we aim to study a new generation of technologies for the in-situ sediment transport monitoring extendable to various aquatic settings. Furthermore, this project faces critical problems for ultra-low power IoT applications in harsh aquatic scenarios. By overcoming these challenges, we will deliver a significant technological advancement for the entire field of ultra-low power IoT applications operating in critical conditions. The thesis explores the design and implementation of the initial prototype, with a deep focus on the firmware and hardware optimization for an ultra low power design.