Non-contact sensing methods for wave measurement: current research and challenge

Abstract Non-contact methods for measuring wave characteristics play a crucial role in wave monitoring and engineering applications, aiding in the understanding and early warning of marine environments. Over the past decade, with the rapid advancement of sensing technologies and deep learning, research on non-contact wave measurement methods has made significant progress. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current status and challenges, this paper provides a systematic review of non-contact wave characteristic measurement methods, discussing their applications in both oceanic and laboratory settings. It introduces various effective non-contact measurement techniques, such as stereo vision, optical, and electromagnetic wave measurements, and compares and summarizes the characteristics and applicability of each method. The advantages of different sensing technologies and their applications in wave monitoring are analyzed, emphasizing the improvement in measurement accuracy and efficiency through multi-source data fusion and deep learning algorithms. The review also summarizes the strengths and limitations of deep learning-driven monocular and stereo depth measurement methods. This review aims to provide comprehensive reference and guidance for future research and applications in wave characteristic measurement technologies in both oceanic and laboratory environments.