Design and Performance Evaluation of SEANet, a Software-defined Networking Platform for the Internet of Underwater Things

Abstract: This paper presents the design and performance evaluation of the SEANet platform, a software-defined acoustic modem designed for enhancing underwater networking and Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) applications. Addressing the limitations of traditional acoustic modems, which suffer from low data rates and rigid architectures, SEANet introduces a versatile, adaptive framework capable of reconfiguring all layers of the protocol stack in real-time to accommodate diverse marine applications. The platform integrates high-performance, wideband data converters with modular hardware and software components, enabling real-time adaptation to changing environmental and operational conditions. Experimental evaluations conducted in oceanic settings demonstrate the SEANet capability to significantly exceed the performance of existing commercial underwater modems, supporting data rates up to 150 kbit/s and effectively doubling the performance metrics of conventional systems. Our robust testing also highlights the SEANet proficiency in channel estimation, Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) link establishment, and interoperability through the JANUS communication standard. Our results underscore the SEANet potential to transform underwater communication technologies, providing a scalable and efficient solution that supports high data rate applications and fosters the expansion of IoUT deployments.