Funding is provided to develop and test an optical communications system that will provide ~10Mbits/sec data rates over ~100m ranges in deep water. This work is an extension of a previous award in which a laboratory prototype was developed and demonstrated. The primary goal of this effort will be design and construction of a complete two-node optical communication system extending from the physical layer up through the network and transport layers using TCP/IP as the communication protocol. One of these nodes will be installed at the MARS observatory during year 2 and the other will be installed on the ROV Ventana to verify and validate operation with a mobile vehicle.
Broader Impacts
Reliable wireless communication is still one of the major challenges in underwater robotics and deep sea exploration. High speed communication as proposed is not possible yet with currently available technology. The implementation of an optical wide area network, similar to a mobile phone network on land, will open a whole range of new applications. Fixed communication nodes could also be used as navigation beacons for autonomous navigation of robotic vehicles.