Student: Alexis Soulias
Project: Smart Underwater Sensors and Wireless Communication
Poster: Vertical (PDF) | Horizontal (PDF)
Institution: Lehigh University
Major: Computer Engineering
Advisor: Rosa Zheng
Abstract
Miniature data loggers are highly beneficial for various civil engineering applications and laboratory studies, such as soil erosion, bridge scouring, stormwater and sediment management. Most of the data loggers have to save data for downloading or use BlueTooth or WiFi for data transfer after they are retrieved out of water. For real-time data transfer while working underwater, acoustic communication has to be used, which is often challenging due to the size of components used in common acoustic communication systems. In this project, we chose a very high frequency acoustic transducer for wireless communication and will combine the data sensing and data logging with acoustic communication and implement the overall system in a small-form-factor microcontroller.
The designed underwater data logger consists of IMU sensors and the sensing data is coded, interleaved, and then modulated to a 200 kHz carrier. The power amplifier also uses a small form factor multiplexer design so that the data logger can shrink the size down to be as small as a ball with a diameter of 25 - 30 cm. The targeted underwater communication range is 200 – 500 meters with a data rate of 25 kbps.
About Alexis Soulias
Alexis Soulias, junior at Lehigh University studying Computer Engineering from Basking Ridge, New Jersey. I do research within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department under the guidance of Professor Rosa Zheng. After learning the basics of IC chip design and building PCB (printed circuit boards), I began studying underwater communication signals. Focusing on real-time data collection, I am researching acoustic transmitters and receivers, trying to find a way to create a small microcontroller for transmission despite the larger size of typical components used in acoustic communication systems. Besides underwater communication, I have interests in artificial intelligence and robotics. Outside of engineering, I enjoy reading a wide range of books and studying music theory through the piano and guitar.