IoT PRESERVING UNDERWATER TREASURES

SUMMARY

At the beginning of 2019, the design of the Underwater Visual Observation System NOUS was born. The IoT underwater system was installed at the ancient shipwreck of Peristera, at Alonissos island, Northern Sporades. For the first time in the world, it enabled continuous monitoring of an underwater museum. As a breakthrough in underwater surveillance, such a system could have many other possible applications, including monitoring of marine protected parks, sea farms, scientific observations for biodiversity and climate change, and many more.

CHALLENGE

Although the underwater world offers a lot to be seen, underwater museums are not a common phenomenon. One of the main problems that previously restricted the implementation of underwater museums was related to the complicated protection of such entities. Usually, in ancient shipwrecks, only the cargo is preserved, which is mainly amphorae. Such treasures are attractive to thieves as they are easy to steal and quick to sell. Therefore, before showcasing these objects to the visitors, a security system needs to be installed that is self-powered, remotely controlled and connected to the network 24/7.

PARTNER –

uNdersea visiOn sUrveillance System or NOUS (“NOUS” means “mind” and “intelligence” in Greek) is an innovative system prototype that can continuously monitor an underwater area of interest. It combines Artificial Intelligence for the marine and diving industry, eliminating the need for a human operator to perform tasks like object detection, image classification, monitoring, and others.

TOPOLOGY

SOLUTION

The NOUS IoT system allows continuous monitoring and protection of an underwater site using machine learning and applying image and sound processing algorithms. The system consists of two sections: above and under the water. Onshore or placed on a buoy is a fully autonomous photovoltaic panel system and batteries that provide electricity to the solution. There is also a RUT240 router providing internet via the 4G network, which further travels underwater through the fibre optic cable.

The underwater section consists of five cameras and a switch. All cameras send video streams in real-time for processing to a remote station via the internet. The image recognition software alerts administrators instantly if anything out of the ordinary occurs and may cause danger to the wreck. The algorithms help the system recognise and detect divers, remotely-controlled robots, or the slightest source of light in the dark. Any alterations on-site trigger a message sent to a group of recipients for investigation and further action if needed.

BENEFITS

• Broad input power range allows connecting photovoltaic directly to the router.
• The small size makes it perfect for easy installation in solutions where space and weight are limited.
• Wide operating temperature of -40 °C to 75 °C and humidity levels from 10% to 90% make it suitable for use on a buoy close to water.
• Advanced VPN services, including OpenVPN, ZeroTier, Stunnel, and many more, keep the data private and secure.
• Compatible with RMS for convenient remote management, real-time data monitoring, analytics, and event alerts.

THE IMPACT

Following the success of the NOUS project, the underwater museum opened in October 2020. It offers a unique experience for the visitors to witness a shipwreck and its impressive cargo of 4000 wine amphorae from 5th century B.C., which was preserved in superb condition underwater. The site is so spectacular that it was named Acropolis of sea wrecks, or in some sources – the underwater Pantheon.
Besides the many application possibilities mentioned above, this precedent gave a start to a new form of tourism. Since the beginning of NOUS, four additional shipwreck sites are in the plans to becoming undersea museums in the near future. This role model will open doors to various similar initiatives opening up the little-known underwater sites with a lot to show and history to tell.

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Reference: https://teltonika-networks.com/industries/use-cases/customer-story-iot-preserving-ancient-underwater-treasures/