Abstract
Supplement Material The paper outlines a DIY optical sensor system for measuring water color, which can be used in citizen science projects to engage people in science and show them how to build and use their own measurement devices. We present an approach to the development of the automated optical sensor system, which uses a camera with a Raspberry Pi. It can automatically determine water color according to the Forel-Ule color scale and represents a significant advance. The data collected can be shared through the Eye on Water database and provide valuable data, knowledge, and insights for further research in the fields of limnology and oceanology. In the framework of this project, it was possible to prepare a comprehensive, freely available documentation for the reproduction of the Eye on Water RPI. The documentation of software and hardware is made available as open–source. The project code and hardware model as well as the documentation of the sensor system project are public accessible through: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13828687. Contributions to every aspect of the Eye On Water RPI sensor system are welcome from everyone.CONTENT Assembly instruction, ListOfMaterials and 3D-step data Model Housing Project description Raspberry Pi SD-Card Image Software RepositoryTest Cases - 4 Datasets and Description Verification of basic software functionalities – test case one Verification of camera hardware and long–term effects under inhomogeneous illumination – test case two Verification of white balance adaption under varying illumination conditions – test case three Validation of practical handling in the field – test case four Verification of white balance adaption under varying illumination conditions – test case threeHow to Cite Rüssmeier, N., & Becker, F. (2024). Eye on Water RPI: a Do It Yourself maker sensor system project to measure and classify natural water colors based on Forel Ule (v1.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13828687