Abstract
In this article, we demonstrate bringing the Internet to underwater environments by deploying a low power and compact underwater optical wireless system, called Aqua-Fi, to support today's Internet applications. Aqua-Fi uses an LED or laser to support bidirectional wide-range communication services with different requirements, low cost, and simple implementation. LEDs introduce robust short distance solutions with low power requirements. However, laser extends the communication distance and improves the transmission rate at the cost of higher power requirements. Throughout this work, we discuss the proposed Aqua-Fi system architecture, limitations, and solutions to improve data rates and deliver reliable communication links.
This work was funded by the Red Sea Research Center, and Figs. 1 and 2 were produced by Xavier Pita, scientific illustrator at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).