Tracking Boats on Amazon Rivers-A Case Study with the LoRa/LoRaWAN

Area of Science:

• Engineering
• Computer Science
• Remote Sensing

Background:

• The Amazon River basin, the world's largest, relies heavily on riverine transportation due to limited land infrastructure.
• Rivers are critical for commerce and accessing remote communities in the Amazon region.
• Existing transportation systems face challenges due to infrastructure gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel hardware platform and communication protocol for enhancing river transport in the Amazon.
• To enable reliable data transfer and communication for isolated riverside communities.
• To improve the safety and efficiency of the Amazon River transportation system.

Main Methods:

• Development of a System-in-Package (SiP)-iMCP HTLRBL32L hardware platform integrated with GPS.
• Implementation of a new communication protocol, the LoRa Protocol Proprietary (LPP), for end-device communication.
• Utilizing long-range LoRa technology for data transfer over the river network.

Main Results:

• The new hardware platform achieved a maximum communication range of 16.928 km between an end device and a gateway.
• The system demonstrated a maximum communication range of 12.447 km between end devices.
• The developed LoRa Protocol Proprietary (LPP) allows for parameterizable commands, enhancing network flexibility.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hardware platform and LPP offer a stable solution for exchanging critical control information in the Amazon River transport system.
• This technology significantly improves the potential for safe and efficient navigation and communication in remote riverine areas.
• The system provides a foundation for developing robust Internet of Things networks tailored for challenging geographical environments.