Version 1.1.7 Calculation of the surface velocity

Wednesday 02 February 2023
MAELSTROM® updates, Misc

We are pleased to announce that we have just updated both the firmware of the vorteX-io micro-stations and their image capture method.

As you already know, the vorteX-io micro-stations installed above the waterways measure various hydrological parameters in real-time. This data can then be consulted in real time within Maelstrom®, the hydrology dedicated platform.

Among these parameters is the measurement of the surface velocity of the waterways. This surface velocity is key to measuring one of the central metrics in hydrology: streamflow.

What's new in this update?

The firmware

In fact, what changes with this update is the firmware also known as embedded software (or microcode) of the micro-stations in vorteX-io network.

What are we actually talking about? The firmware is the computer program integrated in each vorteX-io micro-station, which manages all the parameters and features of the device.

This embedded software is therefore primarily in charge of the health of the micro-station. For example, it controls the power supply, the processor, the electronic boardsthe battery, the sending and receiving of vital parameters, etc.

Beyond these aspects, this code is also responsible for the optimal functioning of everything related to the measurement of hydrological parameters. So it concerns both the camera and of the embedded LiDAR as well as internal memory and connectivity related to the measured data.

Remote update

As a reminder, monitoring, most routine maintenance operations, and software updates for vorteX-io micro-stations are performed remotely, without the need for human intervention in the field.

This approach, directly inspired by practices in the space industry, allows both to minimize maintenance costs and to keep the vorteX-io network of micro-stations always at an optimal software level.
The remote deployments, also known as OTA (Over The Air) in English, can concern both security patches and updates, as well as operational and functional optimizations.

Real-time surface velocity: a new methodology

As part of this deployment, the embedded software has just received a major update. This new firmware version has been deployed on a large scale, i.e. on the entire vorteX-io network park. It specifically concerns a major improvement regarding the shooting of the images used to calculate the surface velocity.

Indeed, in order to capture more relevant details for the calculation, the micro-station now records several short videos for each measurement, varying the exposure values, ISO sensitivity, and shutter speed.

During image processing, these different videos are combined in order to obtain the best possible representation of the water flow.

This optimization of the shooting methodology thus allows to obtain results that are up to twice as precise on average.