Design and Implementation of an IIoT-based Monitoring System for a Remote Radio Astronomy Station: The CASIRI Case Study

Authors

Keywords:

Data Monitoring, Education, Industrial Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, Radio Astronomy Station

Abstract

Industry 4.0 has progressed rapidly due to advances in the Internet of Things (IoT), which have significantly reduced implementation costs while enhancing technological capabilities. These developments have fostered the emergence of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), particularly within scientific and industrial domains. In response to the growing demand for skilled professionals in this field, this paper presents the design and implementation of an IIoT-based monitoring system for the CASIRI radio astronomy station, a mobile platform used to characterize potential sites for radio observatories in Colombia and Antarctica. The proposed system is integrated into a broader IIoT platform designed to support both operational monitoring and educational activities. The IIoT solution features real-time data acquisition, robust hardware and software components, and reliable communication protocols within a modular and scalable architecture. Its performance and component interoperability were validated through a series of experimental tests under simulated conditions. Additionally, this work introduces educational guides to facilitate hands-on training in Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies.

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Author Biographies

Felipe Rubio, Universidad Industrial de Santander

Felipe Rubio was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia in 1996. He received the B.Sc. degree in Electronic Engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) Bucaramanga, Colombia in 2019. He is currently pursuing his M.Sc. degree in Telecommunications Engineering at the same university. His research interests are automation and emerging technologies, particularly the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Juan M. Rey, Universidad Industrial de Santander

Juan M. Rey was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia in 1989. He received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and a Specialization Diploma in University Teaching from the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Bucaramanga, Colombia, in 2012 and 2016, respectively. In 2019, he received a Ph.D. degree in Electronics Engineering from the Technical University of Catalonia, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain. In 2022, he was honored by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as a Green Talent. Since 2013, he has been affiliated with the Electrical, Electronic, and Telecommunications Engineering School (E3T), UIS, Colombia, where he is currently an Assistant Professor. His research interests include power electronics, the design and control of electrical microgrids, and the use of IoT for industrial applications.

Julian Rodriguez-Ferreira, Universidad Industrial de Santander

Julián Rodríguez-Ferreira an Electronic Engineering B.Sc. from Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS), Colombia, earned the “Laureate Thesis” distinction. He holds a Master’s in Astronomy and Astrophysics, a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Paris Observatory and the University of Paris-Saclay, France, and a Master’s in Space Engineering from Paris-Diderot University. He is a Professor at UIS’s School of Electrical, Electronics, and Telecommunications Engineering, leading the CEMOS Research Group and the SCUA Aerospace Student Group. He is an Astrophysics Instrumentation Specialist from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Spain. His research focuses on radio astronomy, scientific instrumentation, and Earth observation from atmospheric and space platforms. He has contributed to ESA missions, including SMOS, BepiColombo, and Euclid, and Colombia’s Antarctic campaigns (2023–2025). A fellow of the ASPEN Institute, he received the “Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento” Order and international awards, including first place in the Latin American Space Challenge (2022) and NASA’s Deep Space Food Challenge (2021).

Natalia Duarte, DAUTOM

Natalia M. Duarte Muñoz is an industrial designer with over 15 years of experience in industrial business management. She has a specialization diploma in Senior Management from Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia. She is the co-founder and Business Director of Dautom, an Industry 4.0 integration and digital transformation consulting firm, where she works as a strategist in digital transformation for manufacturing and energy industries, product owner, and UI/UX IIoT architectures in enterprise-class solutions. Her research interests are industry business and scalable solutions to empower regional companies through digital transformation.

Iván Hernández, DAUTOM

Iván D. Hernández R. was born in Colombia in 1981. He received a B.Sc. degree in electronic engineering from Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia, in 2006, and a specialization diploma in industrial automation from Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Colombia, in 2016. For the last two decades, he has worked as an Industry 4.0 integrator and Digital Systems Architect, integrating SCADA, MES, IIoT, and data cloud platforms for industrial solutions. He is currently the director of engineering and lead architect at Dautom, a company he co-founded. His research areas include IIoT, UNS, Data Cloud, and scalable industrial control systems.

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Published

2025-08-30

How to Cite

Rubio, F., Rey, J. M., Rodriguez-Ferreira, J., Duarte, N., & Hernández, I. (2025). Design and Implementation of an IIoT-based Monitoring System for a Remote Radio Astronomy Station: The CASIRI Case Study. IEEE Latin America Transactions, 23(10), 865–876. Retrieved from https://latamt.ieeer9.org/index.php/transactions/article/view/9816

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 10 (2025): Ordinary Issue

Section

Computing