The challenge of long-distance over-the-air wireless links in the ocean: a survey on water-to-water and water-to-land miot communication

• Published in: Applied sciences 2022-07, Vol.12 (13), p.6439
• Main Authors: Dinis, Hugo Daniel Costa, Rocha, João, Matos, Tiago André Rodrigues de, Gonçalves, L. M., Martins, Marcos Silva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antennas; Climate change; Communication networks; Communications networks; Eletrónica e Informática; Engenharia e Tecnologia; Engenharia Eletrotécnica; Engineers; environmental monitoring; Environmental protection; Internet of Things; Maritime industry; Maritime Internet of Things; Medical equipment; Propagation; Radios; Science & Technology; Security; Sensors; Wireless access points; Wireless communications; Wireless networks; Wireless sensor networks
• ISSN: 2076-3417; 2076-3417
• DOI: 10.3390/app12136439

Robust wireless communication networks are a cornerstone of the modern world, allowing data to be transferred quickly and reliably. Establishing such a network at sea, a Maritime Internet of Things (MIoT), would enhance services related to safety and security at sea, environmental protection, and research. However, given the remote and harsh nature of the sea, installing robust wireless communication networks with adequate data rates and low cost is a difficult endeavor. This paper reviews recent MIoT systems developed and deployed by researchers and engineers over the past few years. It contains an analysis of short-range and long-range over-the-air radio-frequency wireless communication protocols and the synergy between these two in the pursuit of an MIoT. The goal of this paper is to serve as a go-to guide for engineers and researchers that need to implement a wireless sensor network at sea. The selection criterion for the papers included in this review was that the implemented wireless communication networks were tested in a real-world scenario. cofunded by the project K2D: Knowledge and Data from the Deep to Space with reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-045941, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), through the Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization (COMPETE2020), and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the MIT Portugal Program. This work is also cofinanced by national funds through FCT–Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, I.P., under project SONDA (PTDC/EME-SIS/1960/2020). T.M. thanks FCT for grant SFRH/BD/145070/2019