Analysis of Simulation Tools for Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSNs)

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) enjoy great benefits due to their low-cost, smallscale factor and smart sensor nodes. WSNs can not only be employed in cumbersome and dangerous areas of interest, for monitoring or controlling the region, but they can also be deployed to automate mundane tasks. Sensor Networks, these days, are deployed in varied areas like Agriculture, manufacturing, chemical plants, natural environment for sensing and gathering information. Recently, the deployment of specialized sensors in oceans is gaining a rapid pace for oceanographic data collection, underwater pollution monitoring, aquatic life monitoring, assisted navigation, and even underwater surveillance applications. Nowadays, various unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs) are designed, developed, and equipped with smart sensors for the exploration of underwater natural resources and can gather varied scientific data. Underwater sensor networks (UWSNs) consist of lots of static and mobile nodes deployed at different depths working autonomously or in cooperation to sense the data and transmit the data back to mobile station or anchor node. Underwater sensor network research is highly expensive when real-time sensors are deployed in the oceans because of complex network topology and efficient network protocols. This challenge demands the implementation of simulation environment which can depict the actual underwater conditions. As lots of UWSN network simulators are available, the selection of the appropriate tool specialized for suitable research still remains a challenge for researchers. The aim of this paper is to provide in-depth analysis of various UWSN simulation tools along with the performance comparison and key features associated with it. The paper also assists researchers to select the best available tool and highlights research directions to inherit advanced features in UWSN simulators to perform advanced real-time underwater simulations.

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