Upstreamsensori

Upstreamsensori is a modular sensing platform designed to monitor environmental and hydrological conditions in upstream catchments and river systems. It refers to distributed sensor nodes deployed along streams, canals, and upstream reservoirs that collect, process, and transmit data for downstream integration and analysis. The platform emphasizes edge processing, scalable deployment, and interoperability with standard data formats.

Nodes carry multiple instruments such as water temperature, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, nitrate, and rain gauge sensors, as well as telemetry for position, air temperature, and solar irradiance. Each node includes local processing to detect anomalies and compute auxiliary metrics, and communicates via low-power wide-area networks (LoRaWAN), NB-IoT, or cellular links. Power is supplied primarily by solar panels with battery storage, enabling autonomous operation for extended periods.

Collected data are aggregated in a central data hub or cloud service, stored as time-series, and exposed through APIs for integration with GIS platforms, analytics tools, and dashboards. Typical applications include flood forecasting and early warning, water quality surveillance, ecological research, dam and reservoir management, and industrial discharge monitoring. Data standards and calibration protocols are emphasized to maintain comparability across sites.

Originating from collaborative research and municipal pilot programs in the 2020s, Upstreamsensori has been described as a flexible open-architecture approach rather than a single vendor solution. Challenges include sensor maintenance, calibration drift, data quality control, and ensuring reliable connectivity in remote or dense forested areas.