Project description
A sea change in underwater activity
There is a technological revolution taking place in the depths of our oceans. The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) promises to transform ocean monitoring, exploration, disaster prevention, aquaculture and defence. However, current underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) faces challenges hindering the realisation of IoUT, from beam misalignment to low environmental impact. In this context, the EIC-funded BlueArray project will pioneer breakthroughs in UOWC. By advancing blue vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, blue light phased arrays and digital-to-analogue converters, BlueArray aims to enable unprecedented underwater data connectivity. This innovative approach will ensure cost-effectiveness, robustness and scalability, heralding a new era for large-scale IoUT deployment.
Objective
The Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) is defined as a worldwide network of smart interconnected underwater objects, poised to revolutionize a number of related technologies including ocean monitoring observatories, underwater exploration and resource exploitation, disaster prediction and prevention, aquaculture, and defense/security. The establishment of the IoUT requires sensing, localization, and data transmission functionalities, which are mostly achieved through the use of underwater wireless sensor networks, consisting of small, intelligent, and battery-powered sensors. A crucial point is to enable transmission of the collected data over relatively large distances with high speed, low power consumption and low environmental impact. Underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) represents a promising technology with the potential of addressing these requirements. However, the current UOWC technology suffers from several drawbacks, mainly related to the beam misalignment and low localization accuracy underwater, making it unviable to reach the requirements of establishing the IoUT. BlueArray will explore breakthrough technologies for the next generation of UOWC systems with the ambition of making unprecedented underwater data connectivity, with requirements in terms of range, energy efficiency, node mobility, as well as low environmental impact. To face the numerous related challenges, BlueArray will undertake a radically new approach by enabling efficient and high-speed optical beam steering, featuring low loss, narrow beam, and large field-of-view. This is accomplished through advancing blue VCSELs, blue optical phased arrays (OPAs), large-scale array of digital-to-analog converters, and coherent receiver technologies with a complexity going well beyond the state-of-the-art. By developing such an integrated blue OPA-based UOWC technology, BlueArray will enable cost-effective, robust, and scalable UOWC systems allowing the deployment of large-scale IoUT.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been validated by the project's team.
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries fisheries
- engineering and technology civil engineering water engineering ocean engineering
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering sensors smart sensors
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications radio technology
- engineering and technology nanotechnology nanophotonics
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.3.1 - The European Innovation Council (EIC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-EIC - HORIZON EIC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-EIC-2023-PATHFINDEROPEN-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2800 KONGENS LYNGBY
Denmark
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.