Scientists Build First Complete Underwater Wi-Fi, Which Connects Using Lasers
Image via Shutterstock
Scientists have created a device that brings the Wi-Fi service underwater.
As detailed in a study published on IEEE Xplore, the team installed a system that acts as a Wi-Fi booster so divers will be able to share real-time images to computers. This device is called ‘Aqua-Fi’, and it uses radio waves to transmit data from divers’ smartphones to a “gateway” gadget attached to their underwater gear.
LEDs or laser beams then transmit the data to a computer on land, which translates it into photos or videos. According to the researchers, the system is able to upload and download multimedia with data transfers at 2.11 megabytes per second.
Basem Shihada of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology explained, “People from both academia and industry want to monitor and explore underwater environments.” Now, his team has developed an underwater wireless system that does that.
Aqua-Fi sends data using a light beam to a computer at the surface of the water, which is connected to the internet via satellite. The computer then converts the photos into a series of ones and zeroes, which are then translated into light beams that turn on and off.
The team tested the resulting system by uploading and downloading content between two computers, and managed to hit a maximum data transfer speed of 2.11 megabytes per second and an average delay of 1.00 millisecond for a round trip. “This is the first time anyone has used the internet underwater completely wirelessly,” Shihada said.
The team faced a few obstacles along the way. They found that the light beam must be aligned with the receiver in moving water, and to ensure this, they would need to design a spherical device that allowed the capturing of light from all angles.
“We hope that one day, Aqua-Fi will be widely used underwater as Wi-Fi is above water,” Shihada concluded.
Scuba divers could send sea life shots in real-time using an aquatic #internet service. Aqua-Fi would use radio waves to send data from a diver’s #smartphone to a "gateway" device attached to their gear. #IoT #data #communications #diving #scuba https://t.co/IRBDih5cpg
— KAUST (@KAUST_News) June 12, 2020
[via Interesting Engineering, opening image via Shutterstock]
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