Obscape: bringing remote environmental measurements together

Planet Ocean announced its partnership with Obscape B.V. of the Netherlands in April 2021. The range brought together instruments for hydrology and meteorology around a common practical requirement: collecting environmental measurements at remote sites and making the readings available to the people who need them.

The original announcement described Obscape’s Power and Telemetry Module, combining a compact solar power system with communication options. The range then included a wave buoy, meteorological station, radar water-level or tide gauge, rain gauge and time-lapse camera.

This approach addresses more than the choice of sensor. A remote installation also needs a dependable power supply, a communication route and a practical way to review its measurements. Treating those functions together helps a team plan the whole observation system.

Our February 2023 newsletter returned to the range with a feature on Obscape’s automatic weather station and its use alongside other monitoring systems. Local weather gives context to observations in coastal and catchment settings, where rainfall and wind may help explain changes seen in the water.

Obscape’s weather monitoring overview describes solar-powered stations with remote access through its Data Portal. Its land-based and offshore systems use different sensors and are intended for different installation conditions.

According to the manufacturer’s weather station guidance, the All-in-One station measures parameters including air temperature, rainfall, wind, atmospheric pressure and humidity. The offshore arrangement supports measurements on marine platforms and includes motion and orientation information. This distinction matters: a station on a moving buoy has different requirements from one fixed on land.

Begin with the decisions the measurements need to support. Which parameters are required, how often must they be recorded, and how quickly does the team need to see a change? The answers help define the sensor package and reporting interval.

The installation then needs its own checks: exposure to wind and sunlight, communications coverage, mounting, access for maintenance and the consequences of a temporary connection loss. These practical details are as important as the headline list of measurements.

Visit our Obscape partner page, explore the weather station, or use the Product Finder to browse instruments for your project.

From the archive: this article develops our April 2021 partnership announcement and the weather-station feature in the February 2023 newsletter. Manufacturer links provide further detail on the range.