New Methods including Picture Processing for Hydro-Meteorological On-Line Data Acquisition

Abstract

Early warning systems, quality control networks and sustainable protection of drinking water resources became more and more important as a main task of water resources management. They heavily rely on on-line measurements, which mostly are automated. Nevertheless the quality of the measured data can be increased by an integrated Quality Management System, including also the field measurement devices into a complete chain of quality traceability. To increase the data reliability alternative measuring methods have to be evaluated. In our prototype development staff gauge images are digitally processed to achieve a second value for the actual water-level. If the both detected water levels are different, an alarm is generated or remote configuration procedures are performed. The system is a contribution to an integrated Quality Management Tool, allowing retracing the complete chain of measuring value acquisition. Low Earth Orbit Satellites then allow worldwide “nomadic” on-line data-communication from otherwise inaccessible regions. Their combination with plausibility tests in the run-up to the database enables us to accept the great challenge of "real-time" supervision of the quality of the measurements.