Simulation and experimentation of underwater networks entail many challenges, which for the former are mainly related to the accurate modeling of the channel behavior, while they are typically logistic in nature for the latter. In this article, we present our experience with WOSS and DESERT Underwater, two open source suites address both classes of challenges. The suites build on and extend the capabilities of ns2 and NS-MIRACLE, two widely known software packages for network simulation. WOSS endows NS-MIRACLE with the capability to generate realistic channel patterns by automatically retrieving and processing the environmental boundary conditions that influence such patterns; DESERT Underwater makes it possible to evolve toward at-sea experiments by reusing the same code written for simulations, thereby minimizing the effort required for network deployment and control. Both suites have been widely tested and used in several projects: some examples are provided in this respect, including an account of some experiments carried out in collaboration with the NATO STO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation
The DESERT Underwater emulation system (http://nautilus.dei.unipd.it/desert-underwater), originally designed for testing underwater acoustic networks, has been recently extended. The new framework now includes multi-modal communication functionalities encompassing low rate and high rate acoustics as well as optics, the capability of testing wireless telemetry for underwater equipment, a connection to the most recent version of the World Ocean Simulation System (WOSS), a modification to the RECORDS system for sea trial remote control, and an interface between external tools, e.g., Matlab, and the EvoLogics modem. In addition, experimental activities are now supported by an accurate real-time event scheduler which has been shown to support, among others, long experiments involving time-division multiple-access (TDMA)-based MAC protocols. These additional protocol schemes from the MAC to the application layer (most of which have been tested in controlled environments and sea trials) now make DESERT Underwater a comprehensive tool for underwater network simulation and experimentation. In this paper, we present the new functionalities developed over the last two years.
In this paper, we explore the possibility of controlling a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) via a fully wireless control channel. As a first step, we review the expected bit rate offered by optical, acoustic as well as radio-frequency underwater communication technologies, as a function of the distance between the transmitter and the receiver. We then discuss the ROV data transfer requirements and discuss which ones can be supported by a given technology at a given distance. Finally, we simulate the performance of the system during missions of interest, and conclude by discussing the effectiveness of wireless control methods for ROVs
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