The Long-Range Biomimetic Covert Communication Method Mimicking Large Whale

Area of Science:

• Acoustic Communications
• Biomimetic Systems
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Existing short-range biomimetic communication methods using dolphin whistles are unsuitable for long-range underwater applications due to channel variations.
• Long-range biomimicking communication requires overcoming significant multipath delays and achieving a high degree of mimicry (DoM) in the low-frequency band.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel biomimetic communication method enabling long-range underwater acoustic covert communications.
• To achieve a low bit-error rate (BER) and a high DoM in the low-frequency band for enhanced communication fidelity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the time-dependent frequency modulation of whale whistles for signal transmission.
• Developed a receiver that leverages multipath delays to achieve additional signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain.
• Employed a machine learning-based approach for assessing the degree of mimicry (DoM).

Main Results:

• Computer simulations and ocean experiments demonstrated superior BER performance compared to conventional methods.
• The proposed method successfully generated whale-like whistles, achieving a high DoM.
• Generated whistles were indistinguishable from actual humpback whale vocalizations by a machine learning model.

Conclusions:

• The novel biomimetic communication method is effective for long-range underwater acoustic covert communications.
• The approach successfully addresses challenges of multipath delay and achieves high mimicry in low-frequency bands.
• This technology offers a promising solution for covert underwater communication with high fidelity.