Underwater Sensor

Communication Systems
Raja Jurdak (raja.jurdak@ucd.ie)
Antonio Ruzzelli (ruzzelli@ucd.ie)
Gregory OHare (gregory.ohare@ucd.ie)

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Outline
=Rationale
=Existing
=Project

Solutions

overview

=Benefits

to Irelands marine sector

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Why Underwater Sensing Systems

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=

Marine environment remains largely inaccessible

Marine Sensing Application Opportunities
q
q
q

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Underwater communication identified as an existing gap in current

research competencies in Ireland (Sea Change, Feb. 2007)
Existing monitoring strategies
q
q
q
q

Environmental monitoring
Scientific data collection
Underwater exploration

Surface buoys
Suspension of probes
Underwater cables
Satellites

Gaps in state-of-the-art marine monitoring

q
q
q

Require sensing at multiple spatial and temporal scales

Equipment, deployment, and maintenance cost
Must not interfere with the ambient environment and human activities
(fishing, shipping, etc..)
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Outline
=Rationale
=Existing
=Project

Solutions

overview

=Benefits

to Irelands marine sector

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Existing Platforms
Buoys/Probes
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=

High temporal
granularity
Low spatial granularity
for Irelands 7,500 km
coastline
Cost limited to initial
deployment and periodic
maintenance
Interfere with ambient
environment (marine
wildlife, fishing,
shipping)

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Research Vessels
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=
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High spatial granularity

Low temporal granularity
High collection cost
(equipment, manpower,
logistics, etc)
Does not interfere with
the environment, as
vessel presence is only
transient in the
environment

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Human Intervention
A Recent Example: Tolka River
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Reports by local fisherman

in July 2005 on poor quality
discharge of effluent and
fish kill
Response process
q
q
q
q

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=
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Inspectors on scene
Collection of water samples
Laboratory Analysis
Several subsequent visits

Low spatial granularity

Low temporal granularity
High personnel cost
Does not interfere with
environment
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Underwater Sensor
Communication Systems
= Dense

network of in-situ sensor nodes in the

water
Wireless acoustic communication
q High spatial and temporal granularity
q Low transmission power >> Minimal interference
with evironment
q

= Problem:

Current acoustic communication

hardware cost is prohibitive
>> Develop acoustic communication system
based on generic acoustic hardware
(microphones and speakers) that are built-in
to sensor modules
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Underwater Sensor Networks

Novel Features
=Use

off-the shelf sensor modules

=Develop software modems
q Complement

module acoustic hardware

q Enable modules to communicate
underwater
=

Cost-effective underwater sensing

q Low

cost per node

q No maintenance costs
q No personnel costs
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

A Comparison
Platform

Buoys/
Probes

Research
Human
Satellites
Sensor
Vessels Intervention
Networks

Metric

Spatial
Granularity

Low

High

Low

Low

High

Temporal
Granularity

High

Low

Low

High

High

Moderate

High

High

High

Low

High

Low

Low

Low

Low

Cost
Interference
with
environment

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Project Overview
Underwater Network Architecture
Interactive Maps

Surface Buoy

Broadband
Radio
Connection
To Internet

Wireless
acoustic
links
Underwater sensor nodes

data
repository

Query and Download tools

Deploy sensor nodes in bay for environmental monitoring

Dense deployment
Modules periodically collect environmental data,
communicate the data through multi-hop wireless links to
aggregation point
Aggregation point forwards data to central server for storage
and disseminations
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Project Overview
Integration with Smart Bay
Interactive Maps

Aggregation
point
Underwater
sensor nodes
Underwater
cable
Wireless
acoustic
links

data
repository

Query and Download tools

Deploy sensor nodes in bay for environmental monitoring

Dense deployment
Modules periodically collect environmental data,
communicate the data through multi-hop wireless links to
aggregation point
Aggregation point forwards data to central server for storage
and disseminations
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Project Overview
Target Platform
=
=

Off-the-shelf sensor modules for air

communications
Project focus
q Develop the software to enable wireless
underwater acoustic communication
through generic acoustic hardware
Software modem
Protocols
Applications
Platform cost/unit
q Currently US $80-$200
q Expected to drop below $10/unit in next
5 years

Currently working together with Tyndall

to create underwater-ready motes with
optimized features

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Project Overview
Research Challenges
= Software

modem

Signal design and processing

q Synchronization
q Modulation and demodulation
q

= Communication

protocols

Efficient medium access control

q Effective data routing
q

= Application
q

Support configurable operation

= In-the-water

testing required at all stages of

the project development
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Data Communication
0.8

Experiments with Tmote Invent

Modules/On-board microphone/Onboard speaker inside latex membrane
Evaluate acoustic communication
capability of software modem+Tmote
hardware

0.6
0.4
0.2
0
-0.2
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8

6bps

12bps

24bps

-1

48bps

10

12

Symbols Received (%)

x 10

100
80
60
40
20
0
1

7
9
11
Distance (m)

13

15

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

17

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Symbol Synchronization
Measurements in the River Dodder
q
q
q

synchronization shift (msec)

Strong currents
Wildlife (ducks)
Vegetation and floating objects
25
20
15
10
5

15m
0
0

12

15

distance (m)

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

River
Dodder

7m

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Underwater Sensor Networks

Synergy with Marine Sector Development
= Future

work

Prototype network deployment

q Communication protocol stack development
q Application development
q

= Complement

existing monitoring systems

= Our contribution: underwater
communication and networking with sensor
modules
Higher spatial and temporal granularity
q Flexible and low interference solution
q Unattended in-situ operation
q Affordable and easily-deployable
q

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361

Related Publications
=

R. Jurdak, A. G. Ruzzelli, G.M.P. OHare, and C. V. Lopes. Reliable Symbol

Synchronization in Acoustic Sensor Networks, Submitted to IEEE GlobeCom.
March, 2007.
R. Jurdak, P. M. Q. Aguiar, P. Baldi, and C. V. Lopes. Software Modems for
Underwater Sensor Networks, To appear at IEEE/OES Oceans07. Aberdeen,
Scotland. June, 2007.
R. Jurdak, P. M.Q. Aguiar, P. Baldi, and C.V. Lopes. Software Acoustic
Modems for Underwater Sensor Networks, Submitted to IEEE Journal on
Oceanic Engineering. November, 2006.
R. Jurdak, C.V. Lopes, P. M. Q. Aguiar, and P. Baldi. A Comparative Analysis
and Experimental Study on Wireless Aerial and Underwater Acoustic
Communications, In Proc. IEEE International Conference on Digital
Telecommunications (ICDT). Cap Esterel, France. August, 2006.
R. Jurdak, C.V. Lopes, and P. Baldi. Software Acoustic Modems for Short
Range Mote-based Underwater Sensor Networks, In proc. of IEEE Oceans
Asia Pacific. Singapore. May, 2006.
R. Jurdak, C. V. Lopes and P. Baldi. Battery Lifetime Estimation and
Optimization for Underwater Sensor Networks In Sensor Network Operations,
published by Wiley-IEEE Press, edited by Shashi Phoha, Thomas F. La Porta
and Christopher Griffin. pp. 397-420. ISBN: 0-471-71976-5. May, 2006.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

This material is based upon work supported by Science Foundation Ireland under Grant No. 03/IN3/1361