Hydro Guard: An IoT-Based Intelligent River Cleaning Robot with Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring

Abstract: Water pollution remains a critical environmental challenge, particularly in river ecosystems. Traditional manual approaches to river monitoring and cleaning are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and fail to provide real- time insights. This paper presents Hydro Guard, an IoT-based intelligent river cleaning robot that integrates real-time water quality monitoring, live video surveillance, automated surface cleaning, and remote navigation into a unified smart platform. The system employs an ESP32 microcontroller and ESP32-CAM module interfaced with pH, temperature, turbidity, and GPS sensors for comprehensive environmental monitoring. A motor-driven navigation mechanism enables controlled surface mobility, while an integrated dust collector continuously removes floating waste. Wireless communication facilitates real-time data transmission and remote control through a PC-based interface. Field validation in river environments of Tamil Nadu, India demonstrated that the system achieves sensor accuracy within 95% of laboratory standards, with less than 1% navigation error rate. The live surveillance system achieved low-latency video streaming with 94% visibility under standard daylight conditions. The proposed system offers a cost-effective, scalable, and autonomous solution for simultaneous water quality monitoring and surface cleaning, with significant implications for sustainable water resource management.

Keywords: River Cleaning Robot, IoT, Water Quality Monitoring, ESP32, Real-Time Monitoring, Autonomous Navigation, Environmental Management, Wireless Communication, Turbidity Sensor, pH Sensor.