In the field of ocean observation, data accuracy and stability directly determine the reliability of scientific research and engineering decisions. As a key platform for offshore data collection, the Drifting Buoy not only has to withstand extreme conditions such as high temperatures, strong winds, and huge waves, but also must ensure that every set of data collected can withstand scientific analysis and engineering verification. So, how accurate is the data collected by the Drifting Buoy? The answer lies in its core technology and system architecture.
Our company's Drifting Buoy utilizes wave monitoring technology based on a nine-axis MEMS-IMU inertial navigation system. Through the high-frequency fusion of a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, and a three-axis magnetometer, it measures the buoy's displacement, velocity, and attitude changes on the sea surface in real time. This enables the system to accurately reconstruct the buoy's three-dimensional motion trajectory in the waves, thereby highly accurately calculating key elements such as wave height, period, wave direction, frequency spectrum, and energy spectrum.
Unlike traditional buoys, our Drifting Buoy utilizes an Error Accumulation Elimination Algorithm. Based on ocean dynamics models, this algorithm dynamically corrects offset errors in acceleration and velocity integrals, fundamentally eliminating integral drift. Data stability and accuracy are maintained even during long-term drift observations.
For spectrum analysis, the buoy can output real-time wave spectra from 0.04–1.0 Hz and omnidirectional (0–360°) wave direction spectra, and supports calculation of three-dimensional frequency-direction-energy spectra. An optimized low-frequency signal filtering algorithm effectively suppresses low-frequency instability errors below 0.04 Hz that occur in traditional observations, enabling the buoy to clearly separate swell and wind waves.
Furthermore, our Drifting Buoy is equipped with an STM32 microprocessor and a high-precision timing synchronization system, ensuring microsecond-level synchronization of data sampling between sensors. Combined with an intelligent attitude solution algorithm, this system achieves high-precision measurement of the buoy's heading, pitch, and roll, keeping the calculated error of wave direction and energy spectrum within ±5°.
This improved accuracy is not only due to the algorithm but also to the hardware design. The buoy's structure utilizes lightweight, corrosion-resistant materials, and its casing is highly waterproof, providing strong resistance to wind and waves and reducing noise interference caused by mechanical disturbances. The overall system power consumption is less than 50 mA, enabling long-term continuous observation and ensuring data continuity and time series integrity.
With these innovations, our Drifting Buoy provides highly reliable and consistent data support for marine scientific research, meteorological monitoring, ocean energy development, and shipping safety. Whether observing wave fields at the leading edge of a typhoon or collecting long-term drift data in the deep sea, it can reproduce real-world sea conditions with near-scientific-level accuracy.