I-Corps: Underwater Optical Network Technologies

Arizona State University, Scottsdale AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Present methods for underwater communication involve fiber optics, acoustics, induction modems, or more recently, high-powered optical links. Although fiber optics provides high bandwidths, they are expensive, bulky, difficult to maneuver & deploy. Furthermore, wired networks require a connection to some central, powered entity which is only available in a boat or on-shore. This is not ideal for deep- ocean or prolonged underwater operations. Wireless acoustics are suitable for low-bandwidth applications, but they are not able to form large networks as the channel capacity is relatively limited. In addition, acoustics have been shown to be intrusive to the surrounding ecosystem. In this proposal, the team proposes the Optical Modem Module (OMM) wireless underwater telecommunications device that allows for high-speed, low power communication in a distributed underwater network. The OMM can operate free of any cabling, communicating for well over a year with a standard deep-sea battery. The OMM technology is positioned to meet a market void in high speed serial data transfer in low cost links and dense networks used in sub-mesoscale monitoring (<1 km area) application. The OMM has gathered significant interest from ocean science, industry, and defense. This underwater optical network technology has gathered interest from oil & gas industries such as BP and ExxonMobil, ocean science organizations such as the Schmidt Ocean Institute and the Ocean Observatories Initiative, oceanic system integrators such as MacArtney and McLane, and defense contractors including BAE Systems and L3 Communications. The demonstration product and market research will quantify the ocean science community's need to communicate using low-power over a secure channel at high speeds underwater, interfacing with existing infrastructure such as sensors or moorings to other mobile or floating platforms.