Experimental study of radio-free communication in the constrained space of vessel using metal surface wave communication

In this study, Metal Surface Wave Communication (MSWC) using metal surfaces as a medium was applied to a vessel to check the possibility of implementation of the ‘RF free solution’ that overcomes difficulties of wireless communication over the constrained spaces on vessels. The experiment was conducted based on the Wi-fi method. Before the experiment on the ship, 17 dB higher data was confirmed under the same conditions as general WiFi communication on land through a Metal surface wave resonator. As a result of establishing a communication system in a constrained space of a ship using a Metal surface wave resonator, higher than 10 Mbps of up and download speed was confirmed compared to general RF communication. In addition, through noise analysis in engine rooms with many elements that interfere with Metal surface waves, it was confirmed that surface wave communication had no noise effect than general RF communication. Finally, after establishing a communication system in each area inside the ship, the transmission speed was superior when compared to general RF communication. The results of the experiment in this paper show that the transmission speed is lower than the average Wi-Fi of general wireless communication, but communication is possible in an environment where wireless communication is not possible on ships, and the transmission speed of 10Mbps or more is not problematic for voice, video, and data communication. Based on the results of the experiment, it is considered that when MSWC system is constructed on the metal structure of the vessel, Metal surface wave communication technology can replace RF solution and furthermore, MSWC can be applied in constrained space on the vessel and other maritime domain.