Electromagnetic wave wireless communication in shallow water coastal environment

Abstract

Shallow water coastal environments are very important from the biological, social and economic point of view. Wireless technologies - and in particular wireless sensor networks (WSN) - are critical for enabling their efficient and pervasive monitoring. Electromagnetic (EM) communication is considered as the physical layer because, in shallow water coastal environments, it presents distinct advantages with respect to acoustic and optical communication. The benefit of lateral wave EM propagation in shallow water environment is explained. A theoretical analysis of EM propagation in a typical shallow water environment is then conducted, where the maximum distance coverable for a given transmitter power is calculated. The results are then compared with simulations and measurements: their differences with respect to theoretical predictions are assessed. A prototype of underwater communication system constituted by an underwater sensor and a hub buoy that relays data to the mainland is finally presented. Conclusions are drawn in terms of its performance, also in comparison with existing underwater EM communication systems and solutions.