Internet of Underwater Things

Dear Colleagues,

From wired sensor nodes sensing, collecting, and forwarding data underwater, technology has evolved tremendously. In the past few decades, more feasible underwater communication solutions have been introduced, including wireless underwater sensor nodes. These sensor nodes have the capability to communicate underwater via high-frequency signals, acoustic signals, or light signals based on application-specific requirements. The introduction of autonomous robots with sensing and reporting capabilities that have the capability to dive deep within underwater environments has further enhanced the capacity for underwater environment monitoring. Small autonomous submarines equipped with underwater sensing capabilities, commonly known as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), can communicate and cooperate within a group of AUVs to expand underwater operational capabilities.

Underwater sensing nodes communicate and forward data to the control station, forming the application-specific network of things. These networks of underwater things share resources and interact with other networks forming the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT). The applications of IoUT include surveillance, oil and gas exploration, tectonic plate monitoring, and marine life and coral reef harvesting. The introduction of artificial intelligence into underwater communication further expands and improves upon the efficiency of underwater communication technologies due to its self-sustainable nature along with self-governance and independent decision making.

Several artificial intelligence (AI) problem-solving algorithms have been proposed, and most of them are still are at early stages, improving and evolving with time. These algorithms have the capability to process huge amounts of data and make intelligent decisions independently. In the absence of intelligence, IoUT systems will operate on a conventional communication system with preset rules of business. In future, the huge number of IoUT devices and massive traffic from these devices means only one thing—a massive amount of data arriving from stationary nodes as well as mobile AUVs. Numerical analysis techniques and state-of-the-art optimization algorithms can also result in intelligence of some level for the IoUT communication system as they can enhance the system performance.

Considering the importance of intelligent AUV in the internet of underwater things and the massive amounts of data generated from the communication system, this Special Issue seeks to collect relevant and original research and review articles to advance the field and encourage researchers. We welcome contributions from both the industry and academia in highlighting and introducing solutions to the challenges associated with the internet of underwater things systems.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Intelligent green underwater vehicular communication;
• Security and privacy for underwater vehicular communication;
• Intelligent internet of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs);
• Intelligent applications of the IoUT;
• Underwater localization and tracking;
• Big data/data mining for underwater vehicular communication;
• Protocols and standards of intelligent underwater vehicular communication;
• Intelligent IoUT solutions for smart eHealth of marine life monitoring.

Prof. Dr. Dongkyun Kim
Prof. Dr. Juan-Carlos Cano
Dr. Wei Wang
Dr. Syed Hassan Ahmed
Guest Editors

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