“SFI Smart Ocean is already contributing to international standards on underwater networks, and this work will be continued and expanded for increased flexibility and robustness. Improved solutions for underwater positioning are also important to increase the precision and reliability for autonomous operations,” says Christian von der Ohe, RD&I Manager at GCE NODE.
He recently attended the annual fall meeting at SFI Smart Ocean, a research center of which GCE NODE is an industry cluster partner.
So far, SFI Smart Ocean has focused on stationary sensors and fixed underwater networks, but the rapidly increasing use of remotely operated vehicles, as well as autonomous underwater vehicles and autonomous surface vehicles, calls for improved underwater wireless network performance.
SFI Smart Ocean is currently in the process of an underway assessment, and as part of this, a revised project description for the last center period is prepared. Center goals and activities are clarified and optimized to maximize center outcome.
There is an extensive existing network of subsea fiber cables for telecommunications in the North Sea and new cables in the Arctic are in the planning phase. SFI Smart Ocean has started mapping the potential for utilizing these cables for acoustic monitoring using fiber sensing and additionally for picking up acoustic signals from smart sensors close to the cables. A successful outcome will create a large opportunity for collecting real-time data from remote subsea sensors as well as new services based on already deployed infrastructure.
“SFI Smart Ocean has developed many components both for sensing, such as an innovative method for pH sensing, automatic data quality control and, a data and service management platform. These components will be integrated in system solutions and demonstrators in the coming years. This will partly be done in cooperation with other research projects where we benefit from utilization of infrastructure and ship-time, but most of all at the IMR research station at Austevoll,” explains Center Director Ingvar Henne.
Generating spin-off projects and related activities beyond the scope of the center is also important to utilize the competence and professional relations.
Please see https://sfismartocean.no and contact the SFI – or GCE NODE – if you have suggestions for new project initiatives related to ocean technologies.
