Spotter Platform outperforms peer wave buoys in independent field comparison

Peer-reviewed research is a foundational component of Sofar’s science-first approach to unlocking ocean data at scale. From papers authored by our own Ocean Science team to in-depth studies conducted by partners and third parties, we highly value rigorous academic research that uses or assesses the performance of our hardware, software, and data.

“Performance of moored GPS wave buoys,” a study published in Coastal Engineering Journal in January 2024, is a uniquely informative resource for Sofar and the broader marine sensing community, including current and future Spotter Platform customers. The paper, which was written by Clarence “Tripp” O. Collins and multiple co-authors (full citation below), details the results of a field comparison of the performance of Spotter and four other wave buoys conducted at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, Field Research Facility, in Duck, North Carolina.

Key results of peer-reviewed field comparison

The study, which spanned two deployments and eight months, compared the accuracy of the wave buoys’ observations of standard oceanographic variables — including wave height, period, direction, and spectral density — to the observations made by a Datawell Waverider, an incumbent wave buoy solution, and a bottom-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), the study’s benchmark.

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The authors found that:

• Spotter and the Scripps Coastal Observing Research and Development Center Miniature Wave Buoy (CORDC MWB) — a non-commercial solution — were the “top performers” amongst the wave buoys. Both platforms collected ocean data that tracked very closely to the data collected by the benchmark.
  
  
• Due to Spotter’s relative compactness — it is about the size of a basketball — it was better able to detect small waves and provide observations of high frequency waves (above 0.4 Hz) compared to the Datawell Waverider.
  
  
• Spotter’s uptime of 99% over the course of the study was the best amongst all wave buoys, a testament to its durability and connectivity across all sea states.

Lead author Tripp Collins offered additional praise for Spotter.

"We have a good bit of experience deploying and recovering Spotters in the nearshore and over time have put them through their paces,” said Collins. “The performance of the Spotter is on par with our most trusted wave measurement systems. When you consider the cost, ease of deployment, intuitive dashboard, and excellent customer service, then it is really an extraordinary little buoy.”

To learn more about the Spotter Platform, please contact our Sales team.

‍Full citation:‍

Clarence O. Collins, Patrick Dickhudt, Jim Thomson, Tony de Paolo, Mark Otero, Sophia Merrifield, Eric Terrill, Martha Schonau, Lancelot Braasch, Theresa Paluszkiewicz & Luca Centurioni (30 Jan 2024): Performance of moored GPS wave buoys, Coastal Engineering Journal, DOI: 10.1080/21664250.2023.2295105