Towards Self-Powered Internet of Underwater Things Devices

TL;DR

This paper reviews the use of light-based wireless power and data transfer techniques, specifically SLIPT, for underwater IoT devices, demonstrating scenarios and discussing challenges in harsh environments.

Contribution

It provides an overview of SLIPT techniques and demonstrates underwater scenarios, highlighting open issues for hardware and deployment in challenging conditions.

Findings

Demonstrated two SLIPT scenarios underwater

Reviewed time, power, and space domain techniques

Discussed hardware and deployment challenges

Abstract

Exploiting light beams to carry information and deliver power is mooted as a potential technology to recharge batteries of future generation Internet of things (IoT) and Internet of underwater things (IoUT) devices while providing optical connectivity. Simultaneous lightwave information and power transfer (SLIPT) has been recently proposed as an efficient way for wireless power transfer between communicating terminals. In this article, we provide an overview of the various SLIPT techniques in time, power, and space domains. We additionally demonstrate two SLPIT scenarios through underwater channels. Moreover, we discuss the open issues related to the hardware as well as system deployment in harsh environments.