Real-time optical wireless communication between an underwater moving ROV and a tracking UAV

Real-time mobility is crucial for dynamic water-air optical wireless communication (WA-OWC), yet systems with this capability remain scarce, limiting both scientific advancement and practical applications. This Letter presents the first, to the best of our knowledge, WA-OWC system to achieve continuous communication between a moving remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) via real-time visual tracking. Dynamic mobility is achieved via a closed-loop control system that integrates real-time image processing and is supported by robust communication strategies. In river experiments, the system maintains a 10-Mbps data rate for 146 s with a 31-Hz control loop. Such a mobile communication system, enabled by real-time tracking, lays the foundation for future dynamic WA-OWC systems.