Design and FPGA Prototyping of a Flood Prediction System

This paper explains the chip design of a flood prediction system based on piezoelectric pressure sensors, and its FPGA prototyping. The sensors are placed at different water levels and can dependably predict the occurrence of a flood. The main criteria considered in design of the system are low cost, low power consumption, ease of installation, autonomy, reliability, and most importantly, provision of early alerts. Predicting the flood before its actual occurrence can buy sufficient time for residents to evacuate nearby areas, preventing loss of life and property. The design has been prototyped on Altera's Cyclone DE2 FPGA board.