Experimental investigation on validation of the mini wave gauge for ocean wave measurements in comparison to an acoustic doppler current profiler and HOBO

The real-time monitoring of ocean wave data is a crucial element in marine environmental monitoring and the development of marine resources.It is unfortunate that the majority of wave measurement devices remain challenging, relatively high-priced, and require sophisticated technology.This study investigates the validation of a new type of ocean wave measurement, designed based on the mini wave gauge (MWG), using low-cost materials.The study utilizes an accelerometer sensor, specifically the ADXL335, which is converted to measure wave height, and the GY-271 designed to measure wave direction.This research addresses the validation of MWG by comparing measurements from the acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) and HOBO.The validation of wave height demonstrates high accuracy, with a MAPE percentage of 0.46% between MWG and ADCP, and 23.30% between MWG and HOBO.In contrast, the validation of MWG for wave direction by ADCP still requires improvement, with a MAPE of 36.75%.This is due to the sensor's sensitivity to the earth's magnetic field, which requires further improvement of the buoy design to accommodate the direction of incoming waves.Additionally, the MWG's sampling rate in milliseconds allows for analyzing wave characteristics based on wave periods using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) method.