Evaluation of Low Power Wi-Fi Modules in Emulated Ocean Environments

The major problem acoustic underwater communication faces is the low data rate due to low signal frequency. By contrast, the Wi-Fi communication protocol offers high throughput, but limited operating range due to the attenuation effect of the sea and ocean medium. However, short-range near-field underwater wireless power transfer systems offer an environment where Wi-Fi communication can be effectively integrated to collect data and deliver instructions to sensors in underwater sensor networks. In this paper, low-power, low-cost off-the-shelf Wi-Fi modules are explored experimentally for four selected parameters for the different distances between units and different water salinities. The results reveal a shorter operating range and stronger dependence on water salinity than reported so far for high-end Wi-Fi modules.