- UF scientists createdBlueME, a magnetoelectric antenna that lets underwater robots communicate over 700 meters.
- The robot‑to‑robot links enable real‑time decision‑making and data collection without plucking the robots out of the water.
- With a complete prototype, the researchers are seeking funding to continue the research.
From the shallow shores of Lake Wahlberg to the salty depths of the ocean, University of Florida researchers are dropping robots in the water and training them to communicate more efficiently in murky conditions.
Their goal is to underwater robots share information over longer distances within compact, energy-efficient equipment — a capability that could improve everything from naval operations to environmental monitoring and offshore infrastructure inspections.
The project, led by Md Jahidul Islam, Ph.D., and Adam Khalifa, Ph.D., assistant professors in UFs Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, combines UF expertise in marine robotics, wireless systems and magnetoelectric device design.
The team’s recent paper, “BlueME: Robust Underwater Robot-to-Robot Communication Using Compact Magnetoelectric Antennas,” was published through the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, or JOE, with co-authors Mehron Talebi and Sultan Mahmud.