Symmetry Oriented Covert Acoustic Communication by Mimicking Humpback Whale Song

Abstract

To meet the increasing demand of covert underwater acoustic communication, biologically inspired mimicry communication watermarking the data in symmetrical humpback whale song is presented. Mimicry is an entirely different approach from traditional covert communication where data are transmitted by spreading the waveform at a low signal to noise ratio. In this innovative technique, the carrier signal is imitated symmetrical to the ocean background noise, which can be shipping noise, anthropological noise, or the vocals emitted by sea animals. The eavesdropper can detect the communication signal, but will assume it to be real ocean noise due to its symmetry. It excludes the mimicked signal from recognition, which makes the communication covert. In this research, we watermarked the covert information in humpback whale song using discrete cosine transform in the frequency domain. The mimicked symmetrical signal provided excellent imperceptibility with the real song and an outstanding camouflage effect was calculated. We validated the novel concept by simulation and underwater tank experiment. 10−4 BER was achieved in the underwater tank experiment, which was diminished to zero error by using matching pursuit estimation and virtual time reversal equalization. This novel bionic covert communication technique is feasible for clandestine underwater acoustic communication in the presence of an eavesdropper with better imperceptibility.