Low-cost data recovery option for moored sensor systems
Recovery of oceanographic data from moored sensors using large research vessels is expensive and requires a high degree of logistics. PopUp buoys serve as data capsules and therefore allow for an efficient long-term deployment of sensors with regular data access during the deployment period.
They can receive and store data from moored sensors via wireless IrDA data transfer. After a given time or a specific command, the PopUps are individually released from the sensor–PopUp array and ascend to the sea surface from where data are transferred via Iridium communication to a land-base in the form of e-mails. The frequency of data transfer is user-defined.
Depending on the instrument or data collection system, the deployment of individual PopUp buoys or arrays of PopUp buoys in a network is possible.