A communication bridge between underwater sensors and unmanned vehicles using a surface wireless sensor network - design and validation

This paper presents a conceptual design and field test validation of a network of surface nodes providing a communication bridge between underwater sensors and Unmanned Vehicles (UV). Here we describe the combined operations of custom made low-cost buoys and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), linked together within one network. Buoys equipped with an underwater acoustic telemetry receiver and water parameter sensors were moored in a Norwegian subarctic fjord and the underwater sensor data and settings were made accessible via the buoys to a surface mesh-type Wireless Sensor Network. The paper describes the design and implementation of buoy hardware and software, as well as results and experiences acquired through field experiments with the system.