Visible Spectrum Optical Communication and Distance Sensing for Underwater Applications

To establish an underwater communication system for a swarm of submersibles, we developed an optical communication transceiver, small in size, combining the IrDA physical layer with 3 Watt high power light emitting diodes, emitting light in the green and blue part of the visible spectrum. This paper presents experimental results in air and under water. Furthermore, we show how this digital communication link can be used for accurate distance measurements without any modications.