On the effects of deployment imprecision on underwater sensor connectivity

Abstract

In designing an underwater acoustic sensor network, the main bottleneck a field designer faces is the acoustic communications range of the sensors. Since communications is done at relatively high frequencies, as compared with frequencies emitted by underwater vehicles, these higher frequencies are attenuated more rapidly by the medium. Therefore, at a minimum, sensors must be deployed within communications range of each other. Unfortunately, human or mechanical error and physical aspects of the medium may lead to sensors being deployed imprecisely, causing a lack of connectivity between sensors. To mitigate such situations, this paper proposes a stochastic approach, the Effective Communications Range Calculator, for determining an effective communications range with which to design underwater sensor fields to meet the connectivity specifications of the field designer.