A VLC-based Footprinting Localization Algorithm for Internet of Underwater Things in 6G networks

In the upcoming advent of 6G networks, underwater communications are expected to play a relevant role in the context of overlapping hybrid wireless networks, following a multilayer architecture i.e., aerial-ground-underwater. The concept of Internet of Underwater Things defines different communication and networking technologies, as well as positioning and tracking services, suitable for harsh underwater scenarios. In this paper, we present a footprinting localization algorithm based on optical wireless signals in the visible range. The proposed technique is based on a hybrid Radio Frequency (RF) and Visible Light Communication (VLC) network architecture, where a central RF sensor node holds an environment channel gain map i.e., database, that is exploited for localization estimation computation. A recursive localization algorithm allows to estimate user positions with centimeter-based accuracy, in case of different turbidity scenarios.