LoRaWAN Transmissions in Salt Water for Superficial Marine Sensor Networking: Laboratory and Field Tests

Area of Science:

• Electrical Engineering
• Oceanography
• Wireless Communication

Background:

• The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) requires robust communication systems for marine environments.
• LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) is a low-power wide-area network technology with potential applications beyond terrestrial uses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the transmission capabilities of LoRaWAN for underwater to above water communication in saline water.
• To model the radio channel link budget and estimate the electrical permittivity of saltwater for LoRaWAN applications.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis to model the radio channel link budget and estimate electrical permittivity.
• Laboratory measurements at various salinity levels to determine application boundaries.
• Field tests conducted in the Venice lagoon to validate performance in a real marine environment.

Main Results:

• LoRaWAN transmitters can operate when partially or totally submerged under a thin layer of marine water.
• Experimental results align with the predictions of the proposed theoretical model.
• Confirmed application boundaries for LoRaWAN in saline underwater conditions.

Conclusions:

• LoRaWAN is viable for superficial marine sensor networks within the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT).
• Enables applications such as monitoring marine structures, water parameters, athletes, and developing water level alarm systems.
• Paves the way for deploying cost-effective, low-power sensor networks in coastal and marine environments.