Wahoo Bay in Florida is a picturesque half-acre of glistening water. Its marine sanctuary is home to tropical fish and endangered seagrass. It is now at the forefront of a technological revolution. Promises are being made to unveil the mysteries of the oceans.
Wahoo Bay was originally planned to make it a snorkel park. However, delays were witnessed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The setback has now been turned into an opportunity. Shipwreck Park Chairman Rob Wyre said the delay made them think over an alternative and to create an educational environment. Scientists from various universities were thereafter attracted and transformed the bay into a testing ground for underwater technologies.
Internet of Things (IoT) is the core of the innovation. However, it is to note here that IoT is complex in the ocean. It uses floating sensors, autonomous vehicles and wireless robots too. The applications can be successfully used in science, military, commerce and conservation.
Ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface and only about 5% of it has been explored by humans. Underwater IoT can be a game-changer by providing real-time data from uncharted waters. It will expand our understanding of marine ecosystems. It will aid in conservation efforts.
Waleed Akbar, a research assistant at the MIT Media Lab, said that it is necessary to develop underwater IoT despite challenges. His research group at MIT pioneers in low-cost and battery-free IoT technologies which are also used in wireless underwater cameras.
However, acoustic signaling comes with drawbacks such as narrow bandwidth and high costs. Moreover, energy consumption is a significant hurdle. Traditional underwater IoT devices basically relied on such batteries which have limited lifespans. Hence, it poses challenges for large-scale deployment.
