LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments
The deployment of low-cost network sensors (LCNS) for environmental monitoring has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, offering a cost-effective solution for enhancing spatial sensor coverage while minimizing financial constraints. This study presents LevelWAN, a water level monitoring sy...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | HardwareX |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722500063X |
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| author | Ilane Cherif Frédéric Cherqui Franck Perret Bastien Bourjaillat Lionel Lord Jean-Luc Bertrand-Krajewski Nicolas Walcker Maria Gisi Laëtitia Bacot Oldrich Navratil |
| author_facet | Ilane Cherif Frédéric Cherqui Franck Perret Bastien Bourjaillat Lionel Lord Jean-Luc Bertrand-Krajewski Nicolas Walcker Maria Gisi Laëtitia Bacot Oldrich Navratil |
| author_sort | Ilane Cherif |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The deployment of low-cost network sensors (LCNS) for environmental monitoring has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, offering a cost-effective solution for enhancing spatial sensor coverage while minimizing financial constraints. This study presents LevelWAN, a water level monitoring system specifically designed for highly dynamic aquatic environments such as rivers, ponds or lakes. LevelWAN is an open-source, robust, and cost-effective Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring solution incorporating an ultrasonic sensor. The electronic components were carefully selected for their affordability, reliability, and performance. The system underwent a fully autonomous, long-term (3-year) field test in a challenging and highly dynamic environment – a sewer system – to validate its robustness. Its accuracy was assessed against a high-precision professional device, demonstrating an error margin of less than 1 cm. Additionally, LevelWAN was developed with a user-friendly design to facilitate accessibility for non-experts, aligning with the needs of citizen science initiatives and educational applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2c2d728d37b84de1a14b575ea5d242fb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2468-0672 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | HardwareX |
| spelling | doaj-art-2c2d728d37b84de1a14b575ea5d242fb2025-08-20T03:05:52ZengElsevierHardwareX2468-06722025-09-0123e0068510.1016/j.ohx.2025.e00685LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environmentsIlane Cherif0Frédéric Cherqui1Franck Perret2Bastien Bourjaillat3Lionel Lord4Jean-Luc Bertrand-Krajewski5Nicolas Walcker6Maria Gisi7Laëtitia Bacot8Oldrich Navratil9Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, DEEP EA 7429, 11 rue de la Physique, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex, France; Université de Lyon, UMR 5600 CNRS-Environnement Ville Société, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 5 avenue Pierre Mendès-France, Bron Cedex F-69635, France; GRAIE, 66 Boulevard Niels Bohr, CS 52132, 69100 Villeurbanne cedex, France; Corresponding author at: Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, DEEP EA 7429, 11 rue de la Physique, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex, France.Université de Lyon, INSA Lyon, DEEP EA 7429, 11 rue de la Physique, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex, France; Univ Lyon, INSA Lyon, DEEP, EA7429, 69621 Villeurbanne, France; School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Burnley, VIC 3121, AustraliaUniversité de Lyon, UMR 5600 CNRS-Environnement Ville Société, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 5 avenue Pierre Mendès-France, Bron Cedex F-69635, FranceUniversité de Lyon, UMR 5600 CNRS-Environnement Ville Société, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 5 avenue Pierre Mendès-France, Bron Cedex F-69635, FranceUniversité de Lyon, UMR 5600 CNRS-Environnement Ville Société, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 5 avenue Pierre Mendès-France, Bron Cedex F-69635, FranceUniversité de Lyon, INSA Lyon, DEEP EA 7429, 11 rue de la Physique, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex, FranceUniversité de Lyon, INSA Lyon, DEEP EA 7429, 11 rue de la Physique, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex, FranceUniversité de Lyon, INSA Lyon, DEEP EA 7429, 11 rue de la Physique, F-69621 Villeurbanne cedex, France; Université de Lyon, UMR 5600 CNRS-Environnement Ville Société, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 5 avenue Pierre Mendès-France, Bron Cedex F-69635, FranceGRAIE, 66 Boulevard Niels Bohr, CS 52132, 69100 Villeurbanne cedex, FranceUniversité de Lyon, UMR 5600 CNRS-Environnement Ville Société, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 5 avenue Pierre Mendès-France, Bron Cedex F-69635, FranceThe deployment of low-cost network sensors (LCNS) for environmental monitoring has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, offering a cost-effective solution for enhancing spatial sensor coverage while minimizing financial constraints. This study presents LevelWAN, a water level monitoring system specifically designed for highly dynamic aquatic environments such as rivers, ponds or lakes. LevelWAN is an open-source, robust, and cost-effective Internet of Things (IoT)-based monitoring solution incorporating an ultrasonic sensor. The electronic components were carefully selected for their affordability, reliability, and performance. The system underwent a fully autonomous, long-term (3-year) field test in a challenging and highly dynamic environment – a sewer system – to validate its robustness. Its accuracy was assessed against a high-precision professional device, demonstrating an error margin of less than 1 cm. Additionally, LevelWAN was developed with a user-friendly design to facilitate accessibility for non-experts, aligning with the needs of citizen science initiatives and educational applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722500063XReal-time monitoringArduinoField measurementsHydrologyEnvironmental educationRiver |
| spellingShingle | Ilane Cherif Frédéric Cherqui Franck Perret Bastien Bourjaillat Lionel Lord Jean-Luc Bertrand-Krajewski Nicolas Walcker Maria Gisi Laëtitia Bacot Oldrich Navratil LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments HardwareX Real-time monitoring Arduino Field measurements Hydrology Environmental education River |
| title | LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments |
| title_full | LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments |
| title_fullStr | LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments |
| title_short | LevelWAN: a cost-effective, open-source IoT system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments |
| title_sort | levelwan a cost effective open source iot system for water level monitoring in highly dynamic aquatic environments |
| topic | Real-time monitoring Arduino Field measurements Hydrology Environmental education River |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S246806722500063X |
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