Underwater sensor network using optical wireless communication

Potential applications for distributed networks of sensors are numerous and varied. Concern for the environment is one of the driving forces behind extensive research into all aspects of sensor networks (communication protocols, energy harvesting, and microelectronic device fabrication, to name a few), and motivation to explore this many-faceted world is high.

Optical wireless communication (OWC) must contend with phenomena resulting from the interaction of the propagating light beam (the optic carrier) with the transmission medium, such as scattering of light by particles in the channel. However, this very scattering, considered an obstacle for achieving high-performance OWC, can also be exploited as a sensing mechanism, as is familiar from lidar (light detection and ranging) probing. We have proposed a sensor system for atmospheric investigation based on the principle of lidar and using orthogonally coded data signals to overcome multiaccess interference problems. We now pose the question, Can the same principle be applied for underwater contaminant detection and monitoring?

The complete article can be found here.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 21st, 2007 at 11:15 am and is filed under wsn-general. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.