The system enables sediment sampling in previously inaccessible or methodologically challenging environments where conventional techniques are ineffective. The development was implemented in the framework of the 2021-1.1.4-GYORSÍTÓSÁV-2022-00043 project.
Accurate assessment of water quality and sediment dynamics is critical for environmental status evaluation; however, existing sampling methodologies are constrained by several operational and methodological limitations. These include limited adaptability to heterogeneous riverbed morphologies, high labor and time demands, and significant operator dependency. In particular, sampling in shallow, coarse-grained (gravel/cobble) substrates and hydraulically complex or poorly accessible zones remains a persistent challenge.
The newly developed system provides a lightweight, portable, and modular solution based on a fluidization-assisted sampling principle. By locally fluidizing bed material, the device facilitates the mobilization and capture of fine-grained sediment fractions, including particles below 100 µm, thereby improving sampling efficiency and representativeness.
The modular architecture of the system allows for flexible adaptation to a wide range of environmental conditions, including high-gradient mountain streams with coarse substrates, vegetated (reed-dominated) zones, and fine-grained (sand- or clay-dominated) beds. The device is designed for single-operator deployment, with rapid setup and operation, and is expected to deliver improved sampling accuracy, repeatability, and operational efficiency compared to conventional approaches.
Prior to the event, the device was also demonstrated during an international field session involving Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Croatian partners of the iNNO SED Horizon Europe project, where its practical applicability and performance under real-world conditions were evaluated.
