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Talk-13: Connecting the Depths: HydroNet Wireless Communication Solutions for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

Emrecan Demirors, Kerem Enhos, Joseph Turco, John Kerr, Patrick Donnelly, Tommaso Melodia (HydroNet); Supun Randeni, Michael Sacarny, Michael Benjamin (MIT)

HydroNet is a Boston-based deep tech startup that has developed the first end-to-end underwater software-defined sensing, communication, and analytics technology. Our technology suite, comprising advanced software-defined network systems and AI algorithms, enables robust underwater communication, sensing, and decision-making services. HydroNet technology enables the establishment of wireless underwater Wi-Fi and Mesh networks using acoustic, ultrasonic, and optical waves through the HydroFi Plug-N-Play Underwater Data Connectivity solution. Each HydroNet node integrates seamlessly into the Internet, allowing data transmission through the water-air interface via visible light links, 5G communications, or Starlink, directly to other remote platforms (e.g., smartphones, computers, cloud servers). HydroNet technology provides customized AI models for underwater inference and control, with the capability to execute them directly in water.

One of the main building blocks of HydroNet’s technology is the HydroNet Wideband Modular Edge Platform (WMM), the foundation of the first software-defined underwater networking technology. This fully programmable platform enables in-water communication, sensing, AI processing, and analytics. It has unique features, such as fully software-defined waveforms for communication and sensing, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) capabilities, multimodal functionality, and plug-n-play integration capability with unmanned platforms (e.g., UUVs, USVs) and sensor nodes through standard interfaces. It also offers unique capabilities and performance, such as wirelessly streaming real-time video underwater, establishing jamming-resistant communication links, and performing AI-powered signal classification in real-time.

HydroNet and the MIT Marine Autonomy Laboratory have been collaborating on developing wirelessly connected fleets of unmanned vehicles. To achieve this, we have integrated HydroNet Wideband Modular Edge Platforms (WMMs) with MIT SeaBeaver II Autonomous Underwater Vehicles. In this presentation, we will outline the integration of the platforms and overall architecture. We will demonstrate and showcase real-time wireless connectivity from autonomous underwater vehicles. Additionally, we will present the HydroNet Dashboard, which offers (i) visualization of real-time onboard sensor and location data from multiple submerged UUVs and (ii) the ability to assign new missions to UUVs on-the-fly. 

Categories:

  • Underwater Communications
  • AComms
  • AUVs