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

自人类有史以来，海洋的神秘世界就一直吸引着人类。尽管过去世纪的技术进步极大地提高了人们对物理世界的认识，但对水下世界的认识仍然远远落后于对甚至遥远的深空的认识。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在国际上引起了研究人员的强烈兴趣。 水下物联网（IOUT）是物联网（IoT）的一个新类别，近年来已成为智能互联水下物体的网络，以创建一个数字连接海洋，河流和湖泊的全球网络。已经有一些研究和开发计划来应对IOUT的技术挑战。这些仍处于早期调查阶段。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、架构、设计和标准，通过先进的通信和网络为环境、工业、军事和安全应用提供未来的水下物联网，以增强信息供应，提高工作效率并降低运营成本。 目标是（A）研究AUV和节点移动情况下的时变水声信道模型和估计方案：（B）设计和开发用于大规模阵列接收机的高效和低复杂度的均衡和数据检测方案，采用协作通信和大规模多输入多输出方法实现可靠的水声通信;（C）研究传感器和AUV网络的协作和延迟容忍网络体系结构和协议;（D）研究AUV辅助定位，时间同步和数据聚合方法;（E）开发创新的三维（即，空中、海洋表面和水下）海上资产监测系统，使用AUV/无人机辅助的异构网络。 拟议的项目将带来新的技术进步，以实现未来的物联网。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海上石油和天然气工业带来显着增长。它将扩大加拿大和纽芬兰在推进通信研究和技术探索水下领土方面的作用。

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.