AERO Sampler — by 3L Robotics
Find water quality problems before they spread
SUREL satellite analytics predicts where and when to sample. The AERO Sampler drone brings back laboratory-grade proof.
Satellites tell you where to look. AERO Sampler brings back the proof.
The problem
Why water events are detected too late
Manual sampling is slow and costly
Sending staff to collect samples by boat or car takes hours per site and scales poorly across large water bodies.
Fixed schedules miss events
Algal blooms and pollution spills develop within days. Weekly or monthly sampling routines often miss them entirely.
Satellites alone cannot certify
Earth observation shows anomalies, but only a physical sample analysed in a laboratory provides evidence regulators accept.
How it works
From orbit to laboratory in four steps
01
Satellite monitoring
Copernicus Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 data continuously scan your water bodies.
02
SUREL predicts hotspots
The analytics layer detects anomalies — algal blooms, cyanobacteria, turbidity, suspected pollution — and ranks where and when to sample.
03
AERO Sampler takes samples
A drone-mounted sampler collects contamination-free, laboratory-grade samples from a defined depth, each tagged with GPS position, depth and time.
04
Results feed back
Laboratory results confirm events and retrain the predictions, improving the next sampling round.
Technology
Two components, one closed loop
SUREL
Predictive analytics layer
- Copernicus Sentinel-2/-3 data ingestion
- AI detection of water quality anomalies
- Ranked sampling sites with time windows
- Closed-loop learning from laboratory results
AERO Sampler device
Drone-mounted water sampler
- Depth-controlled sampling: DOPLNIT (např. 0–5 m)
- Sample volume: DOPLNIT (např. 3 × 500 ml)
- Contamination-free, single-use sample containers
- Digital chain of custody: GPS, depth, time
- Mounted on the T-DRONES M690Pro quadcopter
Benefits
What changes for your monitoring programme
Earlier detection of water quality events
Lower cost per useful finding
No staff on boats or contaminated sites
Support for EU Water Framework and Drinking Water Directive reporting
Denser monitoring across more sites
Use cases
Where AERO Sampler fits
Drinking water reservoirs
Early warning for algal blooms and turbidity before they reach treatment.
Cyanobacteria & bathing water
Targeted sampling during the bathing season, when conditions change daily.
Industrial discharge control
Verifiable samples downstream of discharge points, with a digital chain of custody.
Accidental pollution response
Rapid sampling of spills without exposing staff to hazardous water.
About 3L Robotics
A Brno-based deeptech company
3L Robotics develops autonomous drone infrastructure — automated Drone Helipads, the Drone Hub platform and the SUREL cloud control system for mission planning and flight coordination. The team has experience from ESA BIC and EUSPA CASSINI, and holds an EIC Seal of Excellence.
Partners & support
Built on European space programmes
AERO Sampler builds on the support and data of these agencies and programmes.
ESA
European Space Agency
Business Incubation Centre
EUSPA
European Union Agency for the Space Programme
CASSINI incubation
Copernicus
European Union Earth Observation Programme
Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 data
Interested in a pilot on your water body?
Tell us about your monitoring challenge and we will propose a pilot setup.