Development of mobile observation systems for measuring precipitation and inundation height

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K15103
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 22040:Hydroengineering-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Onomura Shiho 東京理科大学, 理工学部土木工学科, 助教 (40822937)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 移動観測 / センシング技術 / 自動車 / 豪雨 / 浸水 / 水害 / IoT / モビリティネットワーク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, a mobile measurement system of rainfall intensity and inundation depth was developed. The system consists of a compact doppler sensor and a water level sensor connected to a single-board microcontroller with a LTE communication module, which operates their measurements, and collects and transfers the observation data. Since rainfall measurements by the compact doppler sensor was a new idea, the sensor was tested through fixed-point observations and mobile observations. The sensor successfully responded light rain to heavy rain (up to about 100 mm/h). Also it was able to capture the large change of rainfall intensity in mobile observations, as long as the signals by the sensor were properly corrected in terms of local wind conditions and vehicle’s traveling speed.

Free Research Field

水文気象学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

各地で豪雨による水害が発生する中，都市部等の人々が暮らす空間は複雑であり，安全な避難に必要となる詳細な降水および浸水状況を把握することは難しい．本研究では，車への搭載に特化した降水量浸水深移動観測システムを開発しており，人々の動線に沿ったローカルな情報の提供に繋がる可能性がある．また，近年の地上気象観測網衰退を補う手段として，車での移動観測に期待が高まっている．他の気象要素を測定する小型デバイスと合わせて移動気象観測システムへと進化させることで，これまでにない密な地上気象観測データの取得ができ，異常気象の早期察知，気象予測精度の向上，車の自動運転サポートなど多岐に渡って役立つことが考えられる．