Toward Future Internet-of-Underwater-Things (IoUT) through Intelligent Underwater Communications and Networking

从人类历史开始，海洋的神秘世界就让人类着迷。尽管过去一个世纪的技术进步极大地提高了人们对物理世界的认识，但对水下世界的理解仍然远远落后于对遥远的深空的理解。因此，近年来，出于科学、环境、商业和军事目的对海洋和其他水下环境的探索引起了国际研究人员的强烈兴趣。物联网(IoT)的新类别--水下物联网(IoT)近年来作为一种智能互联的水下物体网络应运而生，创建了一个将数字连接海洋、河流和湖泊的全球网络。已经有一些研究和开发举措来应对物联网的技术挑战。这些仍处于调查的早期阶段。最具挑战性的剩余任务包括高效可靠的通信和网络、能源效率和降低成本。*拟议研究的目标是开发创新的算法、体系结构、设计和标准，使未来的水下物联网能够通过用于环境、工业、军事和安全应用的先进通信和网络来增强信息供应、提高工作效率和降低运营成本。目标是：(A)研究存在AUV和节点移动性的时变水声(UWA)信道模型和估计方案；(B)采用协作通信和大规模多输入多输出可靠水声通信方法，设计和开发高效、低复杂度的大规模阵列接收机均衡和数据检测方案；(C)研究传感器和AUV组网的协作和容延网络体系结构和协议；(D)研究AUV辅助的定位、时间同步和数据聚合方法；(D)研究AUV辅助的定位、时间同步和数据聚合方法；和(E)利用AUV/无人机辅助的异质网络开发创新的三维(即空中、海面和水下)近海资产监测系统。*拟议的项目将带来新的技术进步，使未来的信息和通信技术成为可能。它将为HQP培训提供一个理想的平台。它的应用将为海洋勘探和近海石油和天然气行业带来显著增长。它将扩大加拿大和纽芬兰在推进探索水下领土的通信研究和技术方面的作用。

The mysterious world of the ocean has fascinated human beings since the beginning of human history. Although the technology advances in the past century have greatly improved the knowledge of the physical world, the understanding of the underwater world remains far behind the understanding of even the far-away deep space. Therefore, in recent years, exploration of the ocean and other underwater environments for scientific, environmental, commercial, and military purposes has gained strong interest among researchers internationally.******The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT), a new class of the Internet of Things (IoT), has emerged in recent years as a network of smart interconnected underwater objects to create a worldwide network that will digitally link the oceans, rivers, and lakes. There have been a number of research and development initiatives tackling technical challenges of the IoUT. These are still in the early stage of investigation. The most challenging remaining tasks include efficient and reliable communication and networking, energy efficiency, and cost reduction.******The objective of the proposed research is to develop innovative algorithms, architectures, designs, and standards that will enable future Internet-of-Underwater-Things through advanced communications and networking for environmental, industrial, military, and security applications to enhance information provisioning, improve working efficiency and reduce operational cost. The goals are to (A) investigate time-varying underwater acoustic (UWA) channel models and estimation schemes in the presence of AUV and node mobility; (B) design and develop efficient and low-complexity equalization and data detection schemes for large-scale array receivers using cooperative communication and a massive multiple-input-multiple-output approaches for reliable underwater acoustic communications; (C) study cooperative and delay-tolerant network architecture and protocols for sensor and AUV networking; (D) research AUV-aided localization, time synchronization, and data aggregation methods; and (E) develop an innovative three dimensional (i.e., aerial, ocean surface, and underwater) offshore assets monitoring system using AUV/drone-assisted heterogeneous networks.******The proposed project will bring in new technology advancements to enable future IoUT. It will provide an ideal platform for HQP training. Its applications will bring in significant growth for ocean exploration and the offshore oil and gas industry. It will extend Canada and Newfoundland's role in advancing communication research and technology for exploring the underwater territory.