Mitigating Disasters Below the Surface

Abstract

In underwater sensor networks (UWSNs), it is important to determine the location of all the sensors. Localization is the process of estimating the location of each node in a sensor network. There are only a few localization schemes for UWSNs, even though many localization algorithms have been proposed for terrestrial sensor networks. The characteristics of underwater sensor networks are fundamentally different from that of terrestrial networks. The physical layer environments with rigorous bandwidth limitations are the main characteristic of underwater acoustic channels. A unique set of challenges are posed by the long propagation delays and the variable speed of sound under water for localization in UWSNs. This chapter explores the different localization algorithms relevant to underwater sensor networks, and the challenges in meeting the requirements posed by emerging applications for such networks, likes offshore engineering.