Prototype of simple mini-wave gauge using Microcontroller ESP32 on the laboratory scale

Abstract

The limited availability of real-time wave data is needed for shipping safety and for planning coastal areas. This wave data monitoring system including the wave height and direction gained to be used as a consideration in making decisions related to shipping safety and coastal management. This study aims to design and create a prototype of a simple mini-wave gauge and test the performance of a mini-wave gauge on the laboratory scale. The sensors used in this mini-wave gauge were ADXL335 as a vibration sensor to detect wave movement and the GY-271 sensor module with the HMC5883L chip which was a direction sensor. In the experiment, the wave data generated by the sensors were then received by the microcontroller ESP32 as a data processing center. The wave data was then received by the computer using a Wi-Fi network as well as processed and displayed on an application that had been developed using Embarcadero Delphi. Experiments with this mini-wave gauge resulted in an average range of wave height ± 6cm with a wave trough of -4.5 cm and a wave crest of 2.2 cm. This mini-wave gauge was then validated with the ultrasonic sensor at laboratory scale and the root mean square error obtained was 1.34 cm. Generally, this device functions well and has high accuracy for recording wave data.