Water waves are a ubiquitous and profoundly complex natural phenomenon, manifesting in
diverse forms across rivers, coastal regions, and the open ocean, as well as in engineered
environments such as wave flumes and offshore structures. Their pervasive presence underpins a
multitude of scientific, engineering, and everyday phenomena, making them a subject of enduring
fascination and practical importance. Even on a smaller scale, the gentle propagation of ripples
across a pond or the rhythmic oscillations within a home aquarium serve as reminders of the
intricate interplay between gravitational forces, fluid motion, and boundary interactions.
However, water waves do not exist in isolation. Their behaviour is profoundly influenced
by interactions with currents, wind fields, and submerged or floating structures, resulting in
a rich diversity of wave forms, frequencies, and amplitudes. This complexity necessitates a
nuanced understanding of fluid-structure interactions, which is critical for a wide range of
applications. In maritime operations, for example, the safety and performance of vessels depend
on accurate predictions of wave-induced loads and motions. Similarly, in coastal ecology, wavedriven sediment transport and hydrodynamic exchange processes are fundamental to habitat
formation and ecosystem resilience. In the realm of offshore renewable energy, the coupling
between waves and energy-harvesting devices directly impacts power generation efficiency and
structural survivability. To address these challenges, researchers have developed a plethora of
wave measurement and monitoring techniques, spanning from laboratory-scale experiments to
open-ocean deployments. Yet, despite these advancements, many existing methods struggle to
capture fine-grained, multi-dimensional data—essential for contemporary engineering tasks such
as optimising wave energy converters, designing wave-manipulating metamaterials, or validating
numerical models.
It is within this context that this thesis presents the development, demonstration, and application of a high-resolution stereo-vision system for measuring water waves and analysing
wave–structure interactions in controlled laboratory environments. A comprehensive literature review is first undertaken, examining both intrusive and non-intrusive wave measurement
techniques—-from conventional resistance probes and acoustic sensors to advanced optical
methods–while identifying persistent limitations in spatial resolution and the potential for disturbing the wave field. To address these shortcomings, the research introduces a novel camera-based
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methodology that leverages triangulation and Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) to reconstruct
three-dimensional free-surface elevations with exceptional precision. Particular emphasis is
placed on mitigating reflective artefacts and ensuring rigorous optical calibration, thereby enhancing the reliability and accuracy of the measurements. Through this work, the thesis aims to contribute a robust and versatile tool for advancing the study of water waves, with implications for both fundamental research and applied ocean engineering. Experimental investigations are conducted across desktop-scale and moderate-sized wave flumes, demonstrating the system’s capability to capture intricate hydrodynamic phenomena
with high fidelity. Tests involving metamaterial structures reveal the system’s ability to detect subtle distortions or enhancements in wave amplitude and phase, providing insights into wave manipulation mechanisms. Observations of a wave energy converter’s motion further validate the stereo-vision system’s reliability, with results corroborated by comparisons to standard
instrumentation, including commercial motion-tracking devices. Comparative analyses with conventional tools, such as calibration targets, underscore the versatility, precision, and robustness
of the proposed methodology. While these experiments are confined to laboratory settings, the findings suggest that further
advancements could enable the system’s deployment in more challenging environments, such as offshore testing sites or real-time monitoring of vessel wakes. Additionally, integrating the
system with digital twins or numerical solvers could facilitate detailed comparisons between measured wave fields and advanced simulation outputs, thereby refining both experimental designs and theoretical models. Future work may focus on enhancing data handling capabilities, particularly through real-time image processing using dedicated hardware, as well as refining camera calibration techniques under variable lighting conditions. By providing a non-intrusive, precise, and adaptable means of capturing water surface dynamics as well as tracking moving objects, this thesis lays a robust foundation for more informed research and innovation across coastal, marine, and offshore engineering disciplines.
| Date of Award | 15 Sept 2025 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Awarding Institution | - University Of Strathclyde
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| Sponsors | University of Strathclyde |
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| Supervisor | Laibing Jia (Supervisor) & David Dai (Supervisor) |
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