A Discovery Process for Initializing Underwater Acoustic Networks

Seaweb is an underwater acoustic wide-area network connecting autonomous, distributed nodes. This paper presents a network discovery process that enables such a field of spontaneously deployed, ad hoc nodes to auto-configure network routes. The process is initialized as nodes in the network are discovered, link distances measured, and optimal routes chosen from among candidate routes according to comparative evaluation of a cost function. The implemented network discovery process is tested with computer simulation and demonstrated at sea with a network of 19 nodes. The resultant network routes obtained upon completion of the ad hoc network discovery process are compared with those derived from Dijkstra’s algorithm. It is concluded that the network discovery process always produces a shortest-path route from a master node to each discovered node in the network. Sensitivity analysis on the route cost evaluation function is performed.