top of page

"A User-Printable Three-Rate Rain Gauge Calibration System"

Abstract

Our objective was to develop and validate a freely downloadable, open-source, 3D printed rain gauge calibrator that can be adjusted for a wide range of gauges. The calibrator applies constant low, medium, and high-intensity water delivery rate, and allows the user to modify the design to conform to their system based on parametric design. The design may be modified and printed using freely available computer-aided design (CAD) software. Currently available devices for calibration tend to be designed for specific rain gauges, are expensive, employ low-precision water reservoirs, are not field portable, and do not offer the flexibility needed to test the ever more popular small-aperture rain gauges (smaller surface area to catch precipitation than the classical 200 mm standard). To overcome the fact that different 3D printers yield different print qualities, we devised a simple post-printing step that controls critical dimensions to assure robust performance. Specifically, orifices of the calibrator are drilled to reach the target flow rates. Laboratory tests showed that flow rates of 25, 50, and 83 ml/min were consistent between prints (coefficient of variation of 3.9, 2.2, and 1.8%, respectively), and between trials of each part, while the total applied water was precisely controlled (0.1%) by the use of a volumetric flask as the reservoir. The entire system costs under US$10.

"HyperRail: Modular, 3D printed, 1–100 m, programmable, and low-cost linear motion control system for imaging and sensor suites"

Abstract

Reliable, accurate, and affordable linear motion control systems for precision agriculture applications are currently not easily accessible due to their elevated cost. Most systems available to the public have price tags in the thousands of dollars and their dimensions cannot be easily customized. Current systems have a maximum length of about ten meters, and for a typical greenhouse application that length may not be sufficient. The price of the system increases with an increase in length, and with a base price in the thousands of dollars it becomes impractical to buy a system for such application. Our HyperRail is a modular linear motion system with a repeatability of 2 mm and current top speed of 200 mm/s. This is possible through a stepper motor driver that allows for 1/16th microstepping giving an average of 6180 steps per revolution. An advantage that this system has is its ability to increase or decrease the length of system with minimum effort and only nominal increase in price. The HyperRail can be mounted on a set of tripods or directly on the structure of a building such as a greenhouse. The base price for a three-meter system, on tripods is US$278 and only US$45 for each additional 1.5 m of length.

"Measurements and Observations in the XXI century (MOXXI): innovation and multi-disciplinarity to sense the hydrological cycle"

Abstract

To promote the advancement of novel observation techniques that may lead to new sources of information to help better understand the hydrological cycle, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) established the Measurements and Observations in the XXI century (MOXXI) Working Group in July 2013. The group comprises a growing community of tech-enthusiastic hydrologists that design and develop their own sensing systems, adopt a multi-disciplinary perspective in tackling complex observations, often use low-cost equipment intended for other applications to build innovative sensors, or perform opportunistic measurements. This paper states the objectives of the group and reviews major advances carried out by MOXXI members toward the advancement of hydrological sciences. Challenges and opportunities are outlined to provide strategic guidance for advancement of measurement, and thus discovery

bottom of page