DEVELOPMENT OF A GROUP OF MOBILE ROBOTS FOR CONDUCTING COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH OF DANGEROUS WAVE CHARACTERISTICS IN COASTAL ZONES

New methods and approaches for carrying out comprehensive measurements of hazardous waves (tsunami, storm surges) and background wave climate with telemetrically related group of ground, surface and underwater based robots are discussed. The design and equipment list of the ground robot are considered. It includes three various types of movers, an add-on for the installation of devices on the mobile platform and the hardware part. Ground robot was tested in 2016 on the coast of Sakhalin Island, cape Svobodny. Based on test results there were made conclusions on the possibility of increasing mobility of the ground robot and expanding its use. Specially designed underwater robot collects data using a video inspection system and a hydrostatic wave recorder with a string sensor. It has the ability to adjust the position of the center of gravity to increase stability when driving on steep slopes of the seabed. The surface robot was designed for conducting detailed bathymetry measurements of investigated water areas by means of a multi-beam echo sounder. Underwater and surface-based robots were tested in July 2017 on Sakhalin Island. Both robotic systems were merged into the united local network. The results of their operation were obtained to verify the data from measuring systems of the ground robot. In 2018, it is planned to conduct a series of tests involving the three robots and merging them into a local network to manage and process data in real-time

High Frequency Field Measurements of an Undular Bore Using a 2D LiDAR Scanner

The secondary wave field associated with undular tidal bores (known as whelps) has been barely studied in field conditions: the wave field can be strongly non-hydrostatic, and the turbidity is generally high. In situ measurements based on pressure or acoustic signals can therefore be limited or inadequate. The intermittent nature of this process in the field and the complications encountered in the downscaling to laboratory conditions also render its study difficult. Here, we present a new methodology based on LiDAR technology to provide high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of the free surface of an undular tidal bore. A wave-by-wave analysis is performed on the whelps, and comparisons between LiDAR, acoustic and pressure-derived measurements are used to quantify the non-hydrostatic nature of this phenomenon. A correction based on linear wave theory applied on individual wave properties improves the results from the pressure transducer (Root mean square error, R M S E of 0 . 19 m against 0 . 38 m); however, more robust data is obtained from an upwards-looking acoustic sensor despite high turbidity during the passage of the whelps ( R M S E of 0 . 05 m). Finally, the LiDAR scanner provides the unique possibility to study the wave geometry: the distribution of measured wave height, period, celerity, steepness and wavelength are presented. It is found that the highest wave from the whelps can be steeper than the bore front, explaining why breaking events are sometimes observed in the secondary wave field of undular tidal bores

High Frequency Field Measurements of an Undular Bore Using a 2D LiDAR Scanner

The secondary wave field associated with undular tidal bores (known as whelps) has been barely studied in field conditions: the wave field can be strongly non-hydrostatic, and the turbidity is generally high. In situ measurements based on pressure or acoustic signals can therefore be limited or inadequate. The intermittent nature of this process in the field and the complications encountered in the downscaling to laboratory conditions also render its study difficult. Here, we present a new methodology based on LiDAR technology to provide high spatial and temporal resolution measurements of the free surface of an undular tidal bore. A wave-by-wave analysis is performed on the whelps, and comparisons between LiDAR, acoustic and pressure-derived measurements are used to quantify the non-hydrostatic nature of this phenomenon. A correction based on linear wave theory applied on individual wave properties improves the results from the pressure transducer (Root mean square error, R M S E of 0 . 19 m against 0 . 38 m); however, more robust data is obtained from an upwards-looking acoustic sensor despite high turbidity during the passage of the whelps ( R M S E of 0 . 05 m). Finally, the LiDAR scanner provides the unique possibility to study the wave geometry: the distribution of measured wave height, period, celerity, steepness and wavelength are presented. It is found that the highest wave from the whelps can be steeper than the bore front, explaining why breaking events are sometimes observed in the secondary wave field of undular tidal bores