Underwater Acoustic Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing Communication Using Deep Neural Network-Based Receiver: River Trial Results

In this article, a deep neural network (DNN)-based underwater acoustic (UA) communication receiver is proposed. Conventional orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) receivers perform channel estimation using linear interpolation. However, due to the significant delay spread in multipath UA channels, the frequency response often exhibits strong non-linearity between pilot subcarriers. Since the channel delay profile is generally unknown, this non-linearity cannot be modeled precisely. A neural network (NN)-based receiver effectively tackles this challenge by learning and compensating for the non-linearity through NN training. The performance of the DNN-based UA communication receiver was tested recently in river trials in Western Australia. The results obtained from the trials prove that the DNN-based receiver performs better than the conventional least-squares (LS) estimator-based receiver. This paper suggests that UA communication using DNN receivers holds great potential for revolutionizing underwater communication systems, enabling higher data rates, improved reliability, and enhanced adaptability to changing underwater conditions.