Tide monitoring and alerting with ioBridge

With the assistance of a few ioBridge customers, we built a complete tide monitoring solution using the ioBridge platform. From the remote sensing of the tide levels to the detailed reporting to web services, we were able to create an application that is both practical and useable. Our plan was to improve upon predicted tide levels and make the data available to the Internet via feeds and alerts. Our demo sites are in Cape Code, Massachusetts. A site takes about two hours to setup. We use sonar sensors from Maxbotix, XBee Pro radios for sensor connectivity, and low power electronics with 5 years on battery power at the monitoring site. The tide data is reported to the web via the ioBridge IO-204 or the ioBridge IO-204-PRO. We also monitor air and water temperature to give each site as accurate information as possible.

Real-time reporting and improved accuracy

One of the benefits of the tide monitoring solution is the idea of real-time reporting. Lets say you are out on a boating trip and want to come back to the dock. If the tide levels are low, you will not be able to pass into the bay. People in the area are signing up for alerts and monitoring feeds to tell when the tide is rising or falling. Since the data is relayed to the cloud we can also mash up existing databases of tide levels to show differences and improve accuracy.