Research Summaries

Back Deep Seaweb Acoustic Communications and Underwater Networking

Fiscal Year 2013
Division Graduate School of Engineering & Applied Science
Department Physics
Investigator(s) Rice, Joseph A.
Sponsor Space & Naval Warfare Systems Center-Pacific (Navy)
Summary DSw 1.0 is proposed as the initial implementation of Deep Seaweb in response to the maritime asymmetric threat posed by proliferation of low-cost, low-tech, noisy vessels which are readily detected with passive acoustic sensors. This target set includes fast boats, self-propelled semi-submersibles (SPSS), and fully submerged vessels (FSV). DSw 1.0 includes sensor nodes equipped with passive directional hydrophones with autonomous processing for detecting, classifying, and tracking such targets. Deployment of these fixed sensor nodes near the sea floor provides for large sea-surface surveillance coverage through reliable direct-path propagation of the radiated target signature to the sensor. A distribution of these sensor nodes can form a surveillance barrier against targets of interest.
Seaweb networked acoustic communications among the sensor nodes and among optional repeater nodes allows the underwater wide-area network domain to be served by a relatively small number of radio/acoustic communication (RACOM) gateway nodes at the sea surface, typically equipped with SATCOM telemetry for near-real-time bidirectional communications with a manned operations center. A unique attribute of DSw 1.0 is the proposed use of unmoored, energy-harvesting, station-keeping Wave Glider USVs to provide a rapidly deployable, long-endurance, survivable RACOM capability in the open sea.
Keywords
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal