Project Progress Overview
SPH Engineering is an active member of the consortium, and has successfully completed its first European Commission review cycle. Our collaborative efforts have yielded significant technological developments in hydrometric variables monitoring:
- SPH Engineering has supported the development and integration of specialized radar altimetry for water surface monitoring and measurements of water level
- Our team has contributed to the advancement of tethered sonar and water-penetrating radar technologies for bathymetric mapping and creation of detailed Digital Elevation Models
- We’ve assisted in optimizing Doppler radar for surface velocity measurements and discharge in rivers calculations
- SPH Engineering has helped establish comprehensive field protocols for each hydrometry payload
- Our solutions for water surface elevation mapping have been tested across diverse European Natural Rivers environments:
- Torne River (Sweden/Finland border region)
- Rönne River (Southern Sweden)
- Upper Isar River (Germany)
- Orco and Po Rivers (Italy)
Data Sharing and Validation
SPH Engineering is committed to supporting UAWOS’s open data approach. Our team has assisted in processing and validating river dataset collections from all four study sites, which are available at three processing levels:
- Level 1: Raw measurement data
- Level 2: Georeferenced point data
- Level 3: Data projected to reference river centerline/cross-section
Through side-by-side comparisons with traditional measurement techniques, we’ve demonstrated the reliability and accuracy of drone-based water surface velocity monitoring solutions.
Link to datasets: https://uawos.dtu.dk/datasets
Upcoming Field Operations
SPH Engineering will be participating in four major field campaigns planned for 2025, providing remote support for field teams focused on surface velocity monitoring:
- Orco River Campaign: Assessing morphological changes from 2024's extreme events in hydrology
- Ouémé River Survey: Supporting hydraulic model development with essential drone-collected data
- Ogun River Integrated Measurements: Demonstrating integrated satellite and drone-based hydrometry
- Isar River Extreme Flow Assessment: Evaluating UAS capabilities during high flow conditions
SPH Engineering's Field Operations Expertise
As drone specialists within the consortium, SPH Engineering has developed innovative techniques for conducting low-altitude water surveys. Consortium pilots have mastered operating drones just 20 centimeters above water surfaces, navigating challenging environments to collect unprecedented data on river dynamics using particle tracking velocimetry.
The team has overcome numerous operational challenges:
- Adapting flight protocols for unpredictable weather conditions
- Developing efficient deployment strategies for difficult-to-access locations
- Creating solutions to address discrepancies between satellite imagery and actual water levels
- Implementing specialized protocols to maximize field efficiency in challenging terrain
Case Study: Torne River Hydrological Monitoring
In September 2024, SPH Engineering participated in extensive field measurements on the Torne River in northern Sweden. Our team provided technical support and drone piloting expertise for this campaign focused on improving flood forecasting models through combined drone and satellite observations.
Working alongside the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), Drone Systems Aps, and Technical University of Denmark we deployed specialized drone systems to collect critical data in areas where manual measurements are hazardous or impractical. The Torne River, which experienced its largest spring flood in over 50 years in 2023, serves as an ideal testing ground for demonstrating how SPH Engineering's drone solutions can enhance hydrological monitoring and forecasting during extreme events.
Our technology enabled continuous data collection along river stretches rather than at isolated cross-sections, providing SMHI with unprecedented insight for their operational flood forecasting capabilities.
Join Us in Shaping the Future of Hydrological Monitoring
We are excited about the future of UAWOS and the transformative impact of UAV-based hydrometric monitoring. As we continue to refine our technologies and expand their real-world applications, we invite research institutions, government agencies, and industry partners to collaborate with us in advancing the field of airborne water observation.
For more information about SPH Engineering’s role in the UAWOS project and opportunities for collaboration, feel free to contact us.