AECOM
System and method for measuring wave characteristics on a body of water

Abstract:

A system for providing environmental wave data from floating buoys and equipment is based on the GRID tag system, which includes Geo-Referencing Identification (GRID) tag, GRID satellite (GRIDSAT) tag and associated cloud infrastructure and user interface meet the objectives of a robust global tagging and tracking system. The wave characterization module (WCM) system adds wave detection and computation to the GRID tag system. The WCM tag can be used to identify and track floating equipment while also providing local wave characteristics while communicating with other tags via mesh radio. The WCM-sat tag includes a satellite modem, global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and mesh radio to send wave and location data to a remote user. A WCM buoy includes the WCM-sat equipment in a free-floating buoy to report remote oceanic conditions.