Project Scientific Supervisor: Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Oleksandr Ivanovych Rolik
The research and development were carried out within the framework of the scientific grant project 2023.04/0077, “Drone for Water Sampling,” funded by the National Research Foundation of Ukraine.
Name of the competition: Science for Strengthening Ukraine’s Defense Capability
Project Registration Number: 2023.04/0077
Link to the competition selection results on the organizer’s website (for supported projects — a list of winning projects; for unsupported projects — a ranked list of participating projects):
https://nrfu.org.ua/information-resources/reporting/current-projects/anotovani-zvity-za-konkursom-nauka-dlya-zmicznennya-oboronozdatnosti-ukrayiny/
Grounds for the implementation of the research and development project:National Research Foundation of Ukraine Scientific Council Decision regarding the selection of the competition winner (Minutes No. 21 dated June 28, 2024)
Project funding source is the state budget, Budget Program Code (КПКВК) 2201300 “Support for the activities of the National Research Foundation, grant support for scientific research and scientific-technical (experimental) developments,” and Economic Classification of Expenditures Code (КЕКВ) 2610 “Subsidies and current transfers to enterprises (institutions, organizations).”
State Registration Number: 0124U003823
Stage I (31.12.2024 – 01.08.2024) – Agreement No. 177/0077 dated August 1, 2024
Stage II (03.03.2025 – 01.12.2025) – Agreement No. 15/0077 dated March 3, 2025

The UAV for water sampling is assembled according to the structural diagram shown below.

General view of the UAV

Depiction of a water sampling device

The implementation of the UAV hardware for water sampling, including a description of the components, is presented below.

The UAV is divided into panels that house key components. Specifically, the design features the following panels: front-upper, rear-upper, front-lower, and rear-lower.

The figure shows the front upper panel. The structural components present are:
Green – Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer
Yellow – IMX219-83 stereoscopic camera
Lilac – USB-to-UART converter
Light blue – JSN-SR04T ultrasonic distance sensor driver
Red – M9N GPS module

The figure shows the rear upper panel of the UAV. The following structural components are present:
Red – radio communication module (radio link) operating at 412 MHz (with an antenna routed nearby)
Yellow – winch driver
Lilac – 24V motor driver
Light blue – STM32F103 development board in a socket
Orange – 24V-to-5V DC-DC step-down converter (40W) for powering a Raspberry Pi 5

The figure shows the front lower panel of the UAV. The following structural components are present:
Red – ELRS radio control module
Blue – CUAVv5+ flight controller

The figure shows the rear lower panel of the UAV. The following structural components are present:
Green – power connectors for two 12S batteries
Red – ultrasonic transceiver from the JSN-SR04T module

A separate photo of the power circuit for the UAV’s main components. The following structural components are highlighted:
Red – connectors for attaching motors
Yellow – winch driver for the water sampler (batometer)
Purple – a safety switch/sensor located at the water sampler attachment point to detect when it is secured
Blue – Raspberry Pi 5
Light blue – USB connector for connecting the Ground Control Station
Green – CUAV v5+ flight controller

Structural components of the water sampler:
Yellow – a sealed dome containing a power supply unit and a radio relay.
Red – a solenoid actuator for opening the water sample collection container.