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Evaporometer Upgrades: improved Weatherproofing and Accuracy in Real-Time Environmental Data Gathering
  • Thomas DeBell
Thomas DeBell
Co-Author / Developer

Corresponding Author:debellt@oregonstate.edu

Author Profile

Abstract

The original Evaporometer prototype was designed by the Openly Published Environmental Sensing (OPEnS) Lab at Oregon State University to remotely collect near real-time environmental data, including temperature, humidity, luminosity, and amount of precipitation, and transmit it to a receiver hub, where it can be viewed online by researchers worldwide. This eliminates costly and time-consuming site visits. Deployed during the summer of 2017 in OSU’s HJ Andrew’s Experimental Forest, the prototype failed after three months due to excess moisture entering the enclosure and damaging the hardware. Over its first two months, the prototype performed well, gathered over 90,000 data points, updating every five minutes. To extend the lifespan of the Evaporometer, the enclosure was redesigned to improve weatherproofing, include additional sensors, and improve the accuracy of data readings. These improvements will extend the Evaporometer’s field life, allowing it to reliably gather and transmit data for longer periods of time while the ability to gather albedo measurement expands the device’s sensing capabilities. The upgraded Evaporometer provides researchers with a reliable, low-cost, and open-sourced method of collecting environmental data in locations that may not have previously been feasible.