An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication

Autores
Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín; Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio; Santos, Rodrigo Martín; Eggly, Gabriel Martín
Año de publicación
2026
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Measuring the water table level is a critical factor in irrigated agriculture in arid regions, as it can significantly influence the exchange of water and nutrients with crops. This work presents the design, implementation, and field validation of an open-source, solar-powered IoT device for autonomous groundwater level monitoring, combining long-range low-power LoRa communication, a non-contact pressure-based level sensor using the trapped-air capillary method, and an efficient power management stage that seamlessly switches between solar and battery power. Unlike existing commercial leveloggers, which are costly and lack integrated wireless telemetry and solar-based autonomy, the proposed platform is presented as a fully open-source, low-cost alternative purpose-built for unattended deployment in areas without grid power or cellular coverage. The system was validated through a multi-day field trial and dedicated communication tests, demonstrating a stable power conversion efficiency of 84–90%, a five-day autonomous operation without any deep-discharge event, high linearity (2 = 0.9998) of the level module over a 0–2 m range with a resolution of approximately 1.94 mm per ADC count, and a reliable LoRa link of up to 8.51 km in an urban/suburban environment despite non-line-of-sight conditions. With an estimated hardware cost of approximately $100 USD per unit, the device represents a low-cost, low-maintenance tool capable of generating knowledge about water resources to optimize irrigation and crop management in the face of climate change.
EEA Hilario Ascasubi
Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina.
Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina.
Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina
Fil: Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Hilario Ascasubi; Argentina
Fil: Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina
Fil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina
Fil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina.
Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina.
Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Software y Sistemas de Información (LISSI); Argentina
Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Software y Sistemas de Información (LISSI); Argentina
Fuente
Hardware 4 (3) : 16. (August 2026)
Materia
Aguas Subterráneas
Capa Freática
Sensores
Internet de las Cosas
Tecnología Apropiada
Groundwater
Groundwater Table
Sensors
Internet of Things
Appropriate Technology
Water Table
Sensor Networks
Low Cost Technology
Napa Freática
Redes de Sensores
Tecnología de Bajo Costo
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Repositorio
INTA Digital (INTA)
Institución
Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
OAI Identificador
oai:localhost:20.500.12123/27265
Acceder
id INTADig_a808fbc2b889662f1bc7ad4035a87769
oai_identifier_str oai:localhost:20.500.12123/27265
network_acronym_str INTADig
repository_id_str l
network_name_str INTA Digital (INTA)
spelling An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa CommunicationColetto Gallego, Danilo AgustínVanzolini, Juan IgnacioSantos, Rodrigo MartínEggly, Gabriel MartínAguas SubterráneasCapa FreáticaSensoresInternet de las CosasTecnología ApropiadaGroundwaterGroundwater TableSensorsInternet of ThingsAppropriate TechnologyWater TableSensor NetworksLow Cost TechnologyNapa FreáticaRedes de SensoresTecnología de Bajo CostoMeasuring the water table level is a critical factor in irrigated agriculture in arid regions, as it can significantly influence the exchange of water and nutrients with crops. This work presents the design, implementation, and field validation of an open-source, solar-powered IoT device for autonomous groundwater level monitoring, combining long-range low-power LoRa communication, a non-contact pressure-based level sensor using the trapped-air capillary method, and an efficient power management stage that seamlessly switches between solar and battery power. Unlike existing commercial leveloggers, which are costly and lack integrated wireless telemetry and solar-based autonomy, the proposed platform is presented as a fully open-source, low-cost alternative purpose-built for unattended deployment in areas without grid power or cellular coverage. The system was validated through a multi-day field trial and dedicated communication tests, demonstrating a stable power conversion efficiency of 84–90%, a five-day autonomous operation without any deep-discharge event, high linearity (2 = 0.9998) of the level module over a 0–2 m range with a resolution of approximately 1.94 mm per ADC count, and a reliable LoRa link of up to 8.51 km in an urban/suburban environment despite non-line-of-sight conditions. With an estimated hardware cost of approximately $100 USD per unit, the device represents a low-cost, low-maintenance tool capable of generating knowledge about water resources to optimize irrigation and crop management in the face of climate change.EEA Hilario AscasubiFil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina.Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina.Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; ArgentinaFil: Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Hilario Ascasubi; ArgentinaFil: Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; ArgentinaFil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; ArgentinaFil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; ArgentinaFil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina.Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina.Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Software y Sistemas de Información (LISSI); ArgentinaFil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Software y Sistemas de Información (LISSI); ArgentinaMDPI2026-08-04T10:56:30Z2026-08-04T10:56:30Z2026-08info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27265https://www.mdpi.com/2813-6640/4/3/162813-6640https://doi.org/10.3390/hardware4030016Hardware 4 (3) : 16. (August 2026)reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariaenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)2026-09-24T11:43:39Zoai:localhost:20.500.12123/27265instacron:INTAInstitucionalhttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://repositorio.inta.gob.ar/oai/requesttripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:l2026-09-24 11:43:39.913INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuariafalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
title An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
spellingShingle An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín
Aguas Subterráneas
Capa Freática
Sensores
Internet de las Cosas
Tecnología Apropiada
Groundwater
Groundwater Table
Sensors
Internet of Things
Appropriate Technology
Water Table
Sensor Networks
Low Cost Technology
Napa Freática
Redes de Sensores
Tecnología de Bajo Costo
title_short An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
title_full An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
title_fullStr An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
title_full_unstemmed An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
title_sort An IoT Device for Autonomous Groundwater Monitoring: Solar Energy Harvesting, Power Management, and LoRa Communication
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín
Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio
Santos, Rodrigo Martín
Eggly, Gabriel Martín
author Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín
author_facet Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín
Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio
Santos, Rodrigo Martín
Eggly, Gabriel Martín
author_role author
author2 Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio
Santos, Rodrigo Martín
Eggly, Gabriel Martín
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Aguas Subterráneas
Capa Freática
Sensores
Internet de las Cosas
Tecnología Apropiada
Groundwater
Groundwater Table
Sensors
Internet of Things
Appropriate Technology
Water Table
Sensor Networks
Low Cost Technology
Napa Freática
Redes de Sensores
Tecnología de Bajo Costo
topic Aguas Subterráneas
Capa Freática
Sensores
Internet de las Cosas
Tecnología Apropiada
Groundwater
Groundwater Table
Sensors
Internet of Things
Appropriate Technology
Water Table
Sensor Networks
Low Cost Technology
Napa Freática
Redes de Sensores
Tecnología de Bajo Costo
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Measuring the water table level is a critical factor in irrigated agriculture in arid regions, as it can significantly influence the exchange of water and nutrients with crops. This work presents the design, implementation, and field validation of an open-source, solar-powered IoT device for autonomous groundwater level monitoring, combining long-range low-power LoRa communication, a non-contact pressure-based level sensor using the trapped-air capillary method, and an efficient power management stage that seamlessly switches between solar and battery power. Unlike existing commercial leveloggers, which are costly and lack integrated wireless telemetry and solar-based autonomy, the proposed platform is presented as a fully open-source, low-cost alternative purpose-built for unattended deployment in areas without grid power or cellular coverage. The system was validated through a multi-day field trial and dedicated communication tests, demonstrating a stable power conversion efficiency of 84–90%, a five-day autonomous operation without any deep-discharge event, high linearity (2 = 0.9998) of the level module over a 0–2 m range with a resolution of approximately 1.94 mm per ADC count, and a reliable LoRa link of up to 8.51 km in an urban/suburban environment despite non-line-of-sight conditions. With an estimated hardware cost of approximately $100 USD per unit, the device represents a low-cost, low-maintenance tool capable of generating knowledge about water resources to optimize irrigation and crop management in the face of climate change.
EEA Hilario Ascasubi
Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina.
Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina.
Fil: Coletto Gallego, Danilo Agustín. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina
Fil: Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Hilario Ascasubi; Argentina
Fil: Vanzolini, Juan Ignacio. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina
Fil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina
Fil: Santos, Rodrigo Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación. Instituto de Ciencias e Ingeniería de la Computación; Argentina.
Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras; Argentina.
Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Ingeniería Eléctrica y de Computadoras. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Software y Sistemas de Información (LISSI); Argentina
Fil: Eggly, Gabriel Martin. Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Software y Sistemas de Información (LISSI); Argentina
description Measuring the water table level is a critical factor in irrigated agriculture in arid regions, as it can significantly influence the exchange of water and nutrients with crops. This work presents the design, implementation, and field validation of an open-source, solar-powered IoT device for autonomous groundwater level monitoring, combining long-range low-power LoRa communication, a non-contact pressure-based level sensor using the trapped-air capillary method, and an efficient power management stage that seamlessly switches between solar and battery power. Unlike existing commercial leveloggers, which are costly and lack integrated wireless telemetry and solar-based autonomy, the proposed platform is presented as a fully open-source, low-cost alternative purpose-built for unattended deployment in areas without grid power or cellular coverage. The system was validated through a multi-day field trial and dedicated communication tests, demonstrating a stable power conversion efficiency of 84–90%, a five-day autonomous operation without any deep-discharge event, high linearity (2 = 0.9998) of the level module over a 0–2 m range with a resolution of approximately 1.94 mm per ADC count, and a reliable LoRa link of up to 8.51 km in an urban/suburban environment despite non-line-of-sight conditions. With an estimated hardware cost of approximately $100 USD per unit, the device represents a low-cost, low-maintenance tool capable of generating knowledge about water resources to optimize irrigation and crop management in the face of climate change.
publishDate 2026
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2026-08-04T10:56:30Z
2026-08-04T10:56:30Z
2026-08
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27265
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-6640/4/3/16
2813-6640
https://doi.org/10.3390/hardware4030016
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/27265
https://www.mdpi.com/2813-6640/4/3/16
https://doi.org/10.3390/hardware4030016
identifier_str_mv 2813-6640
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Hardware 4 (3) : 16. (August 2026)
reponame:INTA Digital (INTA)
instname:Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
reponame_str INTA Digital (INTA)
collection INTA Digital (INTA)
instname_str Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.name.fl_str_mv INTA Digital (INTA) - Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria
repository.mail.fl_str_mv tripaldi.nicolas@inta.gob.ar
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score 12.754232

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