WA Govt funds undersea mesh system to boost defence comms

Edith Cowan University (ECU) and Proteus Maritime have been awarded a $200,000 grant from the Western Australian Government to develop an undersea mesh system to transform defence communication. The two partners worked on the idea of undersea mesh communications last year within the Exercise Western Dawn innovation program, where it was named the overall winner.

Currently, standard radio-frequency communications have limitations underwater, because radio waves don’t travel through water. An undersea mesh communication system is like underwater Wi-Fi, allowing devices deep in the ocean to connect in real time.

As explained by ECU Associate Professor Iftekhar Ahmad, the system enables real-time connections between devices deep in the ocean. Rather than relying on a single hub, which could fail, each device links with others nearby, forming a resilient web of communication that keeps information flowing even in the depths.

“The underwater communication research team at ECU is developing advanced technologies to enhance the reliability and robustness of underwater communication across Australia’s diverse undersea environments,” Ahmad said. “This grant will enable the ECU team to collaborate with its industry partner in addressing critical challenges in underwater surveillance applications.”

WA Industries Minister Paul Papalia said the innovation will not only bolster communication between submarines, subsea drones and sensors, but also potentially support scientific research as well as search and rescue operations.

“Congratulations to Proteus Maritime and Edith Cowan University for being awarded the WA Government’s $200,000 Defence and Research Teaming grant,” he said.

“This technology will potentially give our submarines and sea drones the upper hand with a clear line of communication even in hostile waters.”

The highly competitive grant was administered through Defence West’s Defence Science Centre, which seeks to foster engagement between industry and academia to address real-world problems in the defence sector. Submissions were assessed by an independent panel against the criteria of novelty, feasibility, value for money, effect and collaboration.

“This work by Proteus Maritime and ECU could prove to be a game changer for creating reliable pathways in undersea communications for submarines, subsea drones and sensors,” said WA Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson.

“This funding is an example of how the Cook government is working to ensure WA is at the forefront for new innovative technologies.”

Image credit: iStock.com/I'm love photography and art. This is me.