An open-source watertight unmanned aerial vehicle for water quality monitoring

This paper presents an open-source watertight multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) capable of vertical takeoff and landing on both solid terrain and water for environmental monitoring. The UAV´s propulsion system has been designed so as to also enable the active control of the UAV´s drift along the water surface. This low power locomotion method, novel to such a vehicle, aims to extend the available operation time on water bodies´ surveys. The ability to take-off from water allows the UAV to overcome any obstruction that appears on its path, such as a dam. A set of field trials show the UAV´s water-tightness, its take-off and landing capabilities in both land and water, and also the ability to actively control its on-surface drifting.