Reversibility in space, time, and computation: the case of underwater acoustic communications

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of reversible computation principles, including reversible cellular automata and reversible circuits, to model, analyze, and implement underwater acoustic time reversal communication systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to underwater acoustic communication using reversible computation models and hardware implementations, bridging physical reversibility with computational techniques.

Findings

Reversible cellular automata effectively model time reversal in acoustic communication.

Hardware implementation based on reversible circuits demonstrates practical feasibility.

Reversible models enhance understanding of environment and process reversibility.

Abstract

Time reversal of waves has been successfully used in communications, sensing and imaging for decades. The application in underwater acoustic communications is of our special interest, as it puts together a reversible process (allowing a reversible software or hardware realisation) and a reversible medium (allowing a reversible model of the environment). This work in progress report addresses the issues of modelling, analysis and implementation of acoustic time reversal from the reversible computation perspective. We show the potential of using reversible cellular automata for modelling and quantification of reversibility in the time reversal communication process. Then we present an implementation of time reversal hardware based on reversible circuits.