Successful Participation in the ADCP User Meeting in Koblenz

From April 21 to 23, 2026, Markus Urbanek and Steffen Büchen attended the 11th ADCP User Meeting hosted by the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) in Koblenz, Germany.

Mr. Büchen is sitting on a folding chair, focused on his work at a folding table with a laptop.
© BfG/Dominik Rösch

With a special focus on “Drones in Flow Measurement,” the three-day event offered not only an ADCP intercomparison but also an exciting platform for exchanging experiences on new measurement methods and devices for flow measurement.

The event’s program was a mix of presentations and hands-on measurement activities at the waterway:

  • Day 1: The opening day featured case studies and technical presentations on unmanned measurement systems and the use of drones in hydrometry on and below the water as well as in the air.
  • Day 2: The main focus was the ADCP regatta on the River Moselle. About 30 devices with various measurement approaches were used: towed by rope from a bridge, deployed from a boat, and using remote-controlled carriers. The day concluded with a group dinner at the “Wacht am Rhein.”
  • Day 3: On the final day, the program included additional presentations, as well as the presentation and discussion of the measurement data collected the previous day and a joint evaluation.

The event was a great success, providing valuable insights and opportunities for discussion with international colleagues. A highlight for our team was the third day of the event, when one of our colleagues gave a presentation on “Hydrometry in Theory and Practice – A Basic Course on Flow Measurement in Watercourses.”

We are returning with many new insights into the possibilities and limitations of modern (drone-based) flow measurements, which we will incorporate into our future work. Many thanks to our colleagues at BfG for the excellent organization and successful event; we look forward to attending again.

In the first image, Mr. Büchen is seen working on a laptop as he prepares for the ADCP measurement. In the second, Mr. Urbanek is seen sitting in a boat on the Moselle River, guiding an ADCP measurement boat along the water’s surface using a pole. In the foreground is a laptop recording the measurements. The last two images show two examples of possible measurement boats from different manufacturers.