RIVERKIN SENSOR · LIVE FRESHWATER TELEMETRY
Water Temperature Sensor with TelemetrY
A robust in-river temperature and water level sensor that streams continuous data via satellite or LoRaWAN, from any river on Earth. No site visits to retrieve loggers. No data gaps.
Field-tested by 50+ scientists · Deployed from Greenland to Patagonia to Japan · Published in Scientific Reports, HardwareX & CATENA
Stop driving to your field sites to swap loggers
Traditional temperature loggers make you choose: drive out to download data, or wait months not knowing if your station is even alive. Riverkin streams water temperature and level to your dashboard at up to one measurement per 5 minutes, and still logs everything to an onboard micro SD card as backup. If a storm takes out connectivity, you lose nothing.
Built for rivers, built for fieldwork
- Live telemetry, your choice of radio: LoRaWAN where coverage exists, satellite (GlobalStar) for remote alpine and polar sites. Same sensor, swappable radio.
- Internal data storage: every reading is saved onboard in addition to transmission. Retrieve data any time via the micro SD card slot.
- About 1 year of battery life: Li-Ion pack, typical low-power transmission setups. Install it and leave it.
- Upgrade without new hardware: the same sensor can unlock turbidity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) whenever your project needs it. Buy for temperature today, expand your dataset tomorrow.
- Installation guidance included: we are experts in field deployment and guide you through siting and mounting.
Open-source roots. Peer-reviewed methods.
Riverkin began as open-source hardware at ETH Zurich. More than 50 scientists worldwide have tested the sensor and shaped its design, usability, and calibration, from Greenland to Patagonia to Japan. Our methods are published and open: Scientific Reports (2022), HardwareX (2023), and CATENA (2024).
Your data, live in your own portal
Access your data online from day one: dashboard, API, custom alerts, and CSV exports, hosted on AWS. Plans start at EUR 5/month per organization.
Key specIFICATIONS
Measurement
Water temperature range: −5 to 35 °C
Temperature resolution: < 0.1 °C
Water level (pressure) range: 0.3 – 4 bar
Pressure accuracy: ± 1 mbar @ 0–65 °C
Turbidity range: 0 – 4000 NTU (S1 pack)
Suspended sediment concentration: 0 – 20 g/L with site-specific calibration (S2 pack)
Measurement interval: up to 1 per minute (LoRaWAN) · 15 per minute (satellite)
Telemetry & data
Connectivity: LoRaWAN or GlobalStar satellite — swappable radio, no cell coverage required
Onboard backup: every reading stored on micro SD card, independent of transmission
Data access: dashboard, API, custom alerts and CSV export, hosted on AWS
Power & housing
Battery life: ≈ 1 year (Li-Ion pack, typical low-power transmission setup)
Total system weight: 2.56 kg
Cable: single 10 m cable
Sensor packs: S0 temperature + level · S1 adds turbidity · S2 adds SSC — upgrade on the same hardware, no re-installation
FAQ:
Q: Does it work where there is no cell coverage?
Yes. Choose LoRaWAN where a network exists, or satellite telemetry for remote sites, the sensor streams from anywhere on Earth.
Q: What happens to my data if transmission fails?
Every measurement is also stored onboard on a micro SD card, so you always have a complete local record.
Q: Can I add turbidity or sediment monitoring later?
Yes. The same hardware supports turbidity and suspended sediment concentration, we unlock these remotely when you upgrade. No new sensor, no re-installation.
Q: How hard is installation?
The full system weighs 2.56 kg and connects with a single 10 m cable. We guide every customer through siting and installation.
Get live river data on your dashboard this season
Tell us about your site and we will recommend the right configuration — sensor, telemetry, and data plan in one package.
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