Gaute Hope: Acoustic communication and navigation signals underneath the Arctic sea ice

Underwater vehicles like ROVs and AUVs are powerful tools for exploring the ocean and the seafloor. However, the Arctic sea-ice prevents access to radio and GPS signals at the surface. The only practical alternative left for navigation and wireless communication is acoustic signals.

Acoustic signals are transmitted underneath the sea-ice, and modelled in the same environment, in order to understand the effect of rough sea-ice on the under-water acoustic propagation. Ultimately the aim is to improve the reliability of acoustic communication and navigation under the sea-ice.