CPS: Medium: Collaborative Research: Networked Sensor Swarm of Underwater Drifters

这项研究的目标是创建一种海岸观测系统，通过联网的、配备传感器的水下漂浮物，实现密集的现场4D传感。方法是开发部署一群自主浮力控制漂浮器所需的技术，这些漂浮器可以控制其深度，但在其他方面完全由洋流携带。这种拉格朗日采样有望提供丰富的新数据，从物理海洋学(绘制3D洋流)、生物学(观察幼虫和营养物质的扩散)、环境科学(跟踪沿海污染物和暴雨排水沟的流出物)以及安全(监测港口和港口)。这种观测系统基本上需要漂流者的准确位置(以解释数据样本的空间相关性)、群体控制算法(以实现所需的采样拓扑结构)和无线通信(以协调单个漂移者之间的协调)。这项研究将创建分布式技术来自我定位漂浮者群体，新的群体控制算法能够在纯粹利用分层流动环境的同时实现拓扑操作，以及用于信息共享的高效无线水下通信。该项目具有重大的社会影响和教育元素。水下漂流群体将使人们能够对一系列科学问题有新的见解，包括了解浮游生物的运输、积累和扩散，以及监测有害的藻类水华。本科生将在这个项目的许多方面发挥积极作用，从而为他们提供独特的跨学科体验。最后，将通过加州大学圣迭戈分校的COSMOS暑期计划向高中生提供服务。

The objective of this research is the creation of a coastal observing system that enables dense, in situ, 4D sensing through networked, sensor-equipped underwater drifters. The approach is to develop the technologies required to deploy a swarm of autonomous buoyancy controlled drifters, which are vehicles that can control their depth, but are otherwise carried entirely by the ocean currents. Such Lagrangian sampling promises to deliver a wealth of new data, ranging from applications in physical oceanography (mapping 3D currents), biology (observing the dispersion of larvae and nutrients), environmental science (tracking coastal pollutants and effluents from storm drains), and security (monitoring harbors and ports).This observing system fundamentally requires accurate positions of the drifters (to interpret the spatial correlations of data samples), swarm control algorithms (to achieve desired sampling topologies), and wireless communication (to coordinate between the individual drifters). This research will create distributed techniques to self-localize the drifter swarm, novel swarm control algorithms that enable topology manipulation while purely leveraging the stratified flow environment, and efficient wireless underwater communication for information sharing.This project has significant societal impact and educational elements. Underwater drifter swarms will enable novel insights into a wide array of scientific questions, including understanding plankton transport, accumulation and dispersion as well as monitoring harmful algal blooms. Undergraduates will play an active role in many aspects of this project, thereby offering them a uniquely interdisciplinary experience. Finally, outreach to high school students will occur through the UCSD COSMOS summer program.