Enabling Access and Topology Optimization of Underwater Networks through an Aerial Vehicle


Recent years have witnessed an increased interest in the applications of underwater acoustic networks (UANs). In existing solutions, floating nodes are consistently used to interface the UAN through radio links to non-sea based units and to correlate the node positions to a global coordinate system. However, such an approach could be impractical for extended missions, ineffective for rapid response scenarios, and/or undesirable for covert operations. Moreover, little attention has been paid to mitigating frequent breaks in UAN connectivity due to node drifts and time varying property of the underwater environment. To address these issues, this proposal promotes the development of innovative communication mechanisms for interfacing UANs directly to an aerial mobile unit (AMU) without the need of floating nodes. The proposed research opts to develop a suite of protocols enabling full duplex communication between UANs and AMUs. These protocols are then leveraged to extend the global coordinate system in the underwater environment to aid in localization and topology management.  

The specific technical goals are: (1) Develop protocols for reliable bidirectional communication between the UAN and an AMU. We are pursuing two options. The first is based on free-space optics. The second utilizes the optoacoustic effect to create a downlink where a controlled laser beam is directed toward the water surface to generate an underwater acoustic signal. The uplink, on the other hand, is established by means of a coherent laser that will detect impinging and protrusion caused by an incident acoustic transmission from an underwater node onto the water surface; (2) Develop encoding methods for forming reliable optoacoustic downlinks where laser properties are controlled by the AMU to generate a modulated signal in the underwear environment; (3) Develop a network discovery and localization protocol through encoded optoacoustic transmissions to generate reference points on the water surface linked to a global coordinate system; (4) Develop topology management protocols that enable re-establishing broken acoustic links with a node or an isolated block of nodes with the aid of the AMU.

Sponsor
National Science Foundation

People
Faculty PhD. Students
  • Muntsir Mahmud (Expected graduation: Summer 2024)
  • Jaeed Bin Saif (Expected graduation: Spring 2025)
Graduated Students
  • Md. Shafiqul Islam (PhD'22)
  • Dr. Akram Ahmed (PhD'19)
  • Mr. Jaeed Bin Saif (MS'23)
  • Mr. Muntsir Mahmud (MS'22)
  • Mr. Narasimha Enukonda (MS'21)
  • Mr. Pratik Mathur (MS'20)
Recent Journal Papers
  1. M. Mahmud, M. Younis, and F F.-S. Choa, and A. Ahmed, “Optical Focusing-based Adaptive Modulation for Air-to-Underwater Optoacoustic Communication,” IEEE Sensors Journal, Vol. 24, No. 6, pp. 8596-8614, March 2024.
  2. M. S. Islam, M. Younis, M. Mahmud, G. Carter and F.-S. Choa, "A Peak Detection Based OOK Photoacoustic Modulation Scheme for Air to Underwater Communication," Optical Communications, Vol. 529, February 2023, 129078.
  3. M. Mahnud, M. S. Islam, A. Ahmed, M. Younis, and F.-S. Choa, "Cross-Medium Photoacoustic Communications: Challenges, and State of the Art," Sensors, Vol. 22, No. 11, pp. 4224, June 2022.
  4. A. Ahmed, and M. Younis, "Acoustic Beam Characterization and Selection for Optimized Underwater Communication," Applied Science, Vol. 9, No. 13, pp. 2740, 2019.
  5. M. S. Islam and M. Younis, "Visible Light Communication through Air Water Interface," IEEE Access, Vol. 7, pp. 123830 - 123845, August 2019.
Recent Conference Papers
  1. Md Mehedi Hassan Galib, Muntasir Mahmud, M. Younis, and F.-S. Choa, “Spiking Neural Network-based Demodulation Scheme for Optoacoustic Communications,” in the Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC 2024), Denver, CO, June 2024.
  2. J. Bin Saif, M. Younis, F.-S. Choa, and A. Ahmed “Global Positioning of Underwater Nodes Using Airborne-formed Visual Light Beams and Acoustic Ranging,” in the Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC 2024), Denver, CO, June 2024.
  3. M. S. Islam, M. Younis, M. Mahmud, and F.-S. Choa, "An Efficient Pulse Position Modulation Scheme to Improve the Bit Rate of Photoacoustic Communication," in the Proceedings of the IEEE 32nd Optical Communications Conference (WOCC 2023), Newark, New Jersey, May 2023.
  4. J. Bin Saif, M. Younis, F.-S. Choa, and A. Ahmed "Localization of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles using Airborne Visible Light Communication Links," in the Proceedings of the IEEE 32nd Optical Communications Conference (WOCC 2023), Newark, New Jersey, May 2023.
  5. M. Mahmud, M. Younis, M. S. Islam, F.-S. Choa, and G. Carter, "Vapor Cloud Delayed-DPPM Modulation Technique for nonlinear Optoacoustic Communication," in the Proceeding of the IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM 2022), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 2022.
  6. M. Mahmud, M. Younis, G. Carter and F.-S. Choa, "Underwater Node Localization using Optoacoustic Signals," in the Proceeding of the IEEE Conference on Communications (ICC 2022), Seoul, South Korea, May 2022.
  7. M. Mahmud, M. S. Islam, M. Younis, and G. Carter "Optical Focusing-based Adaptive Modulation (OFAM) for Optoacoustic Communication," in the Proceedings of the IEEE 30th Optical Communications Conference (WOCC 2021), Taipei City, Taiwan, October 2021 (Recipient of best paper award).
  8. J. Bin Saif, and M. Younis, "Underwater Localization using Airborne Visible Light Communication Links," in the Proceedings of the IEEE Global Communications Symposium (GLOBECOM 2021), Madrid, Spain, December 2021.
  9. A. B. Riaz Ahmed, M. Younis, M. Hernandez De Leon, "Machine Learning Based Sound Speed Prediction for Underwater Networking Applications," in the Proceedings of the 5th IEEE International Workshop on Wireless Communications and Networking in Extreme Environments (WCNEE'21), July 2021.
  10. M. S. Islam, M. Younis, M. Mahmud, and J. Bin-Saif "A Novel Encoding Scheme for Improving the Bandwidth Efficiency of DPPM," in the Proceedings of the IEEE Communications Conference (ICC 2021), Montreal, Canada, June 2021.
  11. M. S. Islam, M. Younis, and F.-S. Choa "Optimizing Acoustic Signal Quality for Linear Optoacoustic Communication," in the Proceedings of the IEEE Communications Conference (ICC 2021), Montreal, Canada, June 2021.
  12. M. S. Islam, and M. Younis, "An Adaptive DPPM for Efficient and Robust Visible Light Communication Across the Air-Water Interface," in the Proceedings of the 29th Wireless and Optical Communications Conference (WOCC 2020), Newark, New Jersey, May 2020.