Case Study

RPR OWS-5 Monitoring System Platform

A Calibration-Free, Cloud-Connected Wind Measurement System for Moving Platforms

Client

Richard Paul Russell Ltd

Website

www.r-p-r.co.uk

Industry

Sports Technology, Maritime Operations, Environmental Monitoring

Location

United Kingdom

Product

On-Water-System-5

Platform

DigitalOcean

Reference

www.ows.weatherfile.com

OWS-5 is a next-generation wind monitoring system developed to deliver accurate true wind speed and wind direction relative to the ground from a moving platform. The system was developed in collaboration with the English Institute of Sport and the British Olympic sailing team, with a primary focus on elite sailing performance analysis.

Unlike traditional wind measurement systems, OWS-5 is designed to operate without requiring calibration during use, allowing it to be deployed quickly and reliably in dynamic environments.

In addition to elite sailing, OWS-5 is used across multiple operational scenarios, including

Rowing coach boats

Regatta committee vessels

Cycle race chase cars

Wind turbine transfer vessels

Ferries and other marine platforms

The Challenge

Accurately measuring wind conditions from a moving platform introduces several technical challenges

Wind measurements must be corrected for platform speed, direction, and heading in real time

Sensor fusion must remain accurate under constant motion

Field users require immediate, local access to data without additional equipment

Data must be logged reliably for later analysis, training, and research

Connectivity must function across mobile cellular networks

The system must remain portable, rugged, and power-efficient

OWS-5 needed to function as a complete measurement and data system, not just a sensor.

System Overview

OWS-5 delivers accurate true wind data by combining

An ultrasonic wind sensor

A high-precision dual-antenna GPS compass with IMU

A custom embedded processing unit

Local wireless access for live data viewing

Cloud-based data logging for historical analysis

The system outputs parameters including

True wind speed

True wind direction

Air temperature

Time and position data

All measurements are calculated relative to the ground, enabling consistent and comparable results from moving platforms.

Embedded Software & Device Logic

At the core of OWS-5 is a custom single-board embedded microprocessor with serial and Wi-Fi interfaces. The device software performs the following functions

Ingests wind sensor output at 4 Hz via RS232

Processes data from the ultrasonic wind sensor and GPS compass

Computes true wind speed and direction relative to ground motion

Handles sensor identification, units, and operational status

Exposes processed data locally via Wi-Fi

A key design goal was calibration-free operation, allowing users to deploy the system without field adjustments.

Local Data Display & Mobile Access

OWS-5 provides local data access through Wi-Fi using Android or iOS devices.
Key capabilities include

Real-time visualization of wind speed, wind direction, and air temperature

Display of time and positional data

Access via standard web interfaces on tablets or smartphones

No requirement for dedicated display hardware

This allows coaches, operators, and technicians to view live conditions directly from a RIB or vehicle during operation.

Cloud-Based Data Logging & Web Application

To support post-session analysis and long-term data use, OWS-5 includes cloud-based logging over mobile cellular networks.

The cloud platform, hosted on DigitalOcean, enables

Secure ingestion of wind and positional data over 3G, 4G, and LTE

Persistent time-series data storage

User access to historical datasets

Data download for training analysis, performance review, research and analytics workflows

The platform was designed to support future analytics and reporting use cases as data volumes grow.

Connectivity & Hardware Characteristics

These characteristics allow OWS-5 to be deployed reliably in harsh marine environments.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi: 2.4 GHz IEEE 802.11n with WPA-2 security

Cellular: Multi-band LTE, UMTS, HSPA, EDGE, and GSM support

Hardware & Physical Characteristics

Power consumption: <300 mA at 12V DC

Power source: Standard outlet socket on RIB

Enclosure: IP67-rated electronics housing

Total system weight: 6.6 kg

Transport: Rugged flight case (750 × 170 × 260 mm)

Reliability, Security & Data Integrity

Secure local wireless communication

Controlled data flow between device, mobile interface, and cloud

Reliable handling of intermittent cellular connectivity

Data integrity preserved from sensor to cloud storage

Architecture designed to support expanding device fleets

Outcomes & Impact

The OWS-5 platform enabled

Launch of a new generation wind monitoring product

Accurate, calibration-free wind measurement from moving platforms

Real-time data access for field users on mobile devices

Reliable historical data for training, research, and analytics

Expansion from standalone hardware to a connected, cloud-enabled system

For end users, OWS-5 delivers actionable wind intelligence that supports

Elite sports training and performance optimization

Operational decision-making in marine environments

Long-term data analysis and research