TCHCS: Defining the Boundaries of Free Space Underwater Communications

摘要地球表面大约70%是海洋，海洋仍然是人类最后的探索领域之一。这种探索由于缺乏高带宽通信而受到阻碍。无线电波不能在海水中传播，水声通信系统在相对较低的带宽下工作。蓝/绿半导体光源的最新发展为高带宽水下光通信提供了另一种技术途径。智力优势：本提案的技术挑战在于了解光在水下的传播如何影响光通信系统的设计，并开发方法来计算不同海水条件下准确的通信链路预算。为了实现这一目标，水下光通信系统将在不同的水条件下建造和测试。理解吸收和散射对信号衰减和色散的作用对于量化是特别重要的。光在水下的散射也对接收机的动态范围以及采集光学和指向要求提出了特殊的要求。除了水下光通信链路外，还将考虑与固态照明系统和自动机器人车辆集成的短距离光学无线链路。更广泛的影响：高带宽水下通信将使许多研究海洋环境的科学学科成为可能。目前，越来越多的研究依靠自主水下航行器进行数据收集，越来越多的人和机器人在水下工作，进行调查，检查电缆和管道，或者在石油钻井平台上工作。在水下工作既危险又困难，而且一直受到通讯不良的阻碍。该提案还包括一个强大的扩展部分，涉及水下机器人俱乐部的众多本科生和高级设计项目。社区通过与社区大学生和中学生的互动参与到提案中来。

AbstractApproximately 70 percent of the world's surface is ocean, and the ocean remains one of the last frontiers for exploration. This exploration is hampered by the lack of high band width communications. Radio waves do not propagate in sea water, and acoustic communication systems operate at relatively low bandwidth. Recent developments in blue/green semiconductor light sources suggest an alternative technology path to high bandwidth underwater optical communications. Intellectual Merit: The technical challenge of this proposal is to understand how the propagation of light underwater impacts optical communication system design and to develop methodologies to compute accurate communication link budgets for different ocean water conditions. To accomplish this, underwater optical communication systems will be built and tested in different water conditions. Understanding the role of absorption and scattering on the attenuation and dispersion of the signal is especially important to quantify. The scattering of light underwater also places special requirements on the dynamic range of the receiver, as well as the collection optics and pointing requirements. In addition to underwater optical communication links, short range optical wireless links integrated with solid state lighting systems and autonomous robotic vehicles will be considered.Broader Impact: High bandwidth underwater communications would be enabling for many scientific disciplines that investigate the ocean environment. Presently there is a proliferation of research that relies on autonomous underwater vehicles for data collection, and increasing numbers of people and robots work underwater, performing surveys, examining cables and pipelines, or working on oil rigs. Working underwater is dangerous and difficult and is consistently hampered by poor communications. The proposal also has a strong outreach component that involves numerous undergraduates in the underwater robotics club, and senior design program. The community is involved in the proposal through interaction with community college and middle school students.