Localization in underwater sensor networks

TLDR

Underwater sensor networks require accurate localization, yet their acoustic channels, variable sound speed, and long propagation delays create unique challenges distinct from terrestrial networks. This paper investigates localization algorithms suitable for UWSNs and the challenges of meeting emerging application requirements. It reviews relevant algorithms and evaluates their ability to address these challenges, exemplified by offshore engineering use cases. The study is relevant to offshore engineering applications.

Abstract

In underwater sensor networks (UWSNs), determining the location of every sensor is important and the process of estimating the location of each node in a sensor network is known as localization. While various localization algorithms have been proposed for terrestrial sensor networks, there are relatively few localization schemes for UWSNs. The characteristics of underwater sensor networks are fundamentally different from that of terrestrial networks. Underwater acoustic channels are characterized by harsh physical layer environments with stringent bandwidth limitations. The variable speed of sound and the long propagation delays under water pose a unique set of challenges for localization in UWSN. This paper explores the different localization algorithms that are relevant to underwater sensor networks, and the challenges in meeting the requirements posed by emerging applications for such networks, e.g. offshore engineering.