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Recent Challenges in Underwater Optical Communication and Detection

A special issue of Sensors (ISSN 1424-8220). This special issue belongs to the section "Communications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 2126

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Ocean and Earth Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Interests: digital signal processing; underwater wireless optical communication system and network; acoustic-optical-radio-frequency hybrid satellite-air-ground-ocean wireless communication networks; underwater wireless optical power transfer; underwater target detection; underwater acquisition, pointing, and tracking
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Guest Editor
School of Artificial Intelligence, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
Interests: optical imaging; ghost imaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The future developmental direction of the ocean observation network will involve the flexible deployment of fixed or mobile observation nodes into larger spaces on the basis of fixed observation using photoelectric composite cables. Wireless communication technologies will be employed to facilitate information exchange between the backbone network and wireless observation nodes within the ocean observation network. This will enable three-dimensional coverage of critical sea areas, and perhaps even the entire ocean. In this context, it is urgent to accelerate the development of marine wireless communication technologies. Compared with traditional underwater acoustic communication, underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) offers several advantages, such as high bandwidth, low latency, good confidentiality, and so on. In addition, it is of great significance to explore high-precision underwater target detection technologies, which play crucial roles in information processing within the ocean observation network and the establishment of UWOC links. When compared with underwater sonar detection, underwater optical detection provides superior visualization and higher-resolution capabilities.

This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality papers that explore emerging and vital technologies of underwater optical communication and detection. We invite prospective authors to submit exceptional research papers related to this subject. Possible research areas encompass, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Novel light sources and detectors for UWOC;
  • Advanced optical materials in UWOC;
  • Channel modelling and characterization for UWOC;
  • Advanced modulation, coding, equalization techniques for UWOC;
  • MISO/SIMO/MIMO transmission techniques for UWOC;
  • Multiple access techniques for UWOC;
  • Artificial intelligence/machine learning for UWOC;
  • Underwater optical networking;
  • Underwater acquisition, pointing and tracking;
  • Underwater optical target detection;
  • Underwater optical positioning and navigation.

Prof. Dr. Meiwei Kong
Dr. Chen Chen
Dr. Zhe Sun
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • underwater wireless optical communication
  • underwater target detection
  • underwater optical networking

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 16899 KB  
Article
Adaptive Relay Free Space Networking for Autonomous Underwater Drone Swarms
by David Stack, Douglas Nuti and Mehdi Rahmati
Sensors 2025, 25(24), 7412; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25247412 - 5 Dec 2025
Abstract
Underwater wireless networking is an emerging field for exploration and monitoring, enabling real-time data transmission and communication with both static sensors and submersibles. Current approaches mostly focus on utilizing acoustic waves. The use of optics for this purpose has been known to have [...] Read more.
Underwater wireless networking is an emerging field for exploration and monitoring, enabling real-time data transmission and communication with both static sensors and submersibles. Current approaches mostly focus on utilizing acoustic waves. The use of optics for this purpose has been known to have several implementation challenges that have prevented it from being considered as a universal alternative. This study proposes that utilizing optics in an adaptive relay wireless network configuration can overcome its primary limitation of line-of-sight (LOS) propagation. In this paper, a network of strategically placed sensors is experimentally constructed with the ability to read and send modulated blue light, fit for extended submersion in water. This proposal represents a hypothetical aquatic drone swarm that is developed and programmed to follow adaptive relay logic. This network is able to demonstrate adaptation to obstructions in the LOS and maintain communication through configurations in which the sender and intended recipient would otherwise be unable to directly communicate. This finding allows the advantages of optical communications to be further explored for aquatic applications, primarily its higher potential data rate, which is inherently productive to a swarm. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Challenges in Underwater Optical Communication and Detection)
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16 pages, 7203 KB  
Article
Exploring the Effect of a Wavy Sea Surface on NLOS-UOWC Systems: A Novel Deterministic Approach
by Paulo Samaniego-Rojas, Rubén Boluda-Ruiz, José María Garrido-Balsells, Beatriz Castillo-Vázquez, Antonio Puerta-Notario and Antonio García-Zambrana
Sensors 2025, 25(3), 695; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25030695 - 24 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1071
Abstract
This work presents a novel approach to modeling an underwater optical wireless communications (UOWC) channel based on a deterministic analysis specifically for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) configurations. The model considers the presence of a wavy ocean surface, providing a more accurate representation of realistic conditions. [...] Read more.
This work presents a novel approach to modeling an underwater optical wireless communications (UOWC) channel based on a deterministic analysis specifically for non-line-of-sight (NLOS) configurations. The model considers the presence of a wavy ocean surface, providing a more accurate representation of realistic conditions. By expanding the possibilities for communication in complex underwater environments, our model offers a comprehensive analysis of the ocean waves’ impact. A significant achievement of this study is the capacity of the model to accurately compute the variable size of the width of the beam (footprint) on the receiver plane reflected by the sea surface and the time intervals during which the receiver remains illuminated. Additionally, the model determines the precise position of the reflected beam on the receiver plane and accurately identifies the time intervals during which communication is feasible, offering invaluable insight into the system performance under oceanic wave variability. The results confirmed that oceanic wave variability induces severe misalignment in optical links, creating intermittent opportunities for effective communication. The optical–geometric analysis contributed significantly to understanding the novel impact of ocean waves on NLOS-UOWC systems. These findings enhance the preliminary considerations in NLOS link design, particularly in scenarios with autonomous underwater vehicles in constant motion, aiding in the reduction of pointing errors. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Challenges in Underwater Optical Communication and Detection)
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