Design and Evaluation of a UAV-Attached Multisampling Device for Water Collection

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as flexible platforms for environmental monitoring, including water sampling in hard-to-reach or hazardous areas. However, most existing UAV-based sampling solutions are limited to single-point collection or rely on complex fluid routing mechanisms that increase the risk of leakage and cross-contamination. This paper presents a novel ribbon-based multisampling capsule that enables sequential water collection from multiple locations during a single UAV deployment. The proposed mechanism employs a motor-driven ribbon with a single movable orifice that is sequentially aligned with individual sampling containers, allowing controlled intake and closure through a combination of hydrostatic pressure and mechanical sealing. A functional prototype was developed and experimentally evaluated to assess sampling feasibility and operational robustness. Experimental results demonstrate that improvements in sealing significantly reduce leakage events and eliminate dispenser-related carry-over, while enabling repeatable multi-point sampling. In addition, exploratory computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to characterize hydrodynamic loads acting on the capsule and to support future design iterations, rather than to provide fully converged hydrodynamic validation. The proposed solution offers a practical, lightweight, and mechanically simple approach to UAV-assisted multi-point water sampling, with clear potential for further optimization and field deployment.