Dr. Aijun Song: Underwater Communications and Research

Charting the Depths: Dr. Aijun Song and the Frontier of Underwater Wireless Communications

While much of the modern technological revolution is focused on expanding fast wireless connectivity across terrestrial landscapes and into the cloud, a vast portion of our planet remains a digital dark zone: the ocean. Covering over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, the underwater world has traditionally resisted standard radio-frequency (RF) communications, which fail to travel far through water.

Enter Dr. Aijun Song, an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Alabama. Dr. Song is an innovator whose pioneering work in underwater acoustic communications, autonomous robotic networks, and signal processing is transforming how we explore, monitor, and understand the marine environment.

Bridging the Terrestrial-Aquatic Divide

Dr. Song’s academic journey laid a rigorous foundation for his current cross-disciplinary breakthroughs. He received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Xidian University in Xi’an, China, before earning his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Delaware. Following extensive postdoctoral and research faculty roles, he joined The University of Alabama, where he established himself as a leading voice in aquatic networking.

Unlike air, which readily transmits high-frequency electromagnetic waves, water absorbs and scatters them rapidly. Consequently, acoustic waves (sound waves) become the primary vehicle for transmitting data underwater. However, acoustic communication comes with severe hurdles:

• Slow Propagation Speed: Sound travels through water at roughly 1,500 meters per second—much slower than light or radio waves.
• Severe Multipath Distortion: Sound bounces off the surface, the sea floor, and obstacles, creating complex echoes.
• Environmental Dynamics: Wind-driven surface waves and currents cause rapid, unpredictable channel fluctuations.

Dr. Song’s research directly tackles these physical limitations, striving to bring high-bandwidth, reliable connectivity to the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT).

Key Research Breakthroughs

1. The NSF CAREER Award and Underwater Robot Networking

In 2021, Dr. Song received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award to spearhead a multi-million-dollar initiative developing robust wireless infrastructure for underwater research robots. By enabling autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to seamlessly exchange information beneath the surface, his team has drastically improved coordinated aquatic mapping, data collection, and environmental surveillance.

2. Acoustic Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (ARIS)

One of Dr. Song’s most exciting recent contributions involves Underwater Acoustic Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (UA-RIS) and Multilayered Acoustic Reflectors. While Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces have been heavily studied for terrestrial 5G/6G wireless networks, applying them acoustically is entirely novel.

Working alongside collaborators, Dr. Song has helped test prototype UA-RIS systems (such as structures built with specialized piezoelectric elements). These smart surfaces use passive beamforming and advanced phase-control techniques to manipulate acoustic waves, steering sound signals precisely where they need to go. This technology extends communication ranges, boosts data rates, and minimizes acoustic noise pollution—a critical factor in protecting marine ecosystems.

3. Real-World Field Demonstrations

Dr. Song’s work is far from purely theoretical. He and his research team regularly transition lab innovations into field applications, deploying advanced autonomous vehicles and acoustic arrays in bodies of water like Lake Tuscaloosa and the Black Warrior River. These trials have frequently partnered with programs like the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) FLOW Academy to showcase next-generation water-observing technologies.

Community Leadership and Education

Beyond his research laboratory, Dr. Song is deeply invested in shaping the next generation of scientists and engineers. He has served as a general co-chair for major international forums, such as the ACM International Conference on Underwater Networks & Systems (WUWNet).

Locally, he has championed youth STEM education by revitalizing and coordinating the Tuscaloosa City Schools MATHCOUNTS program, fostering critical problem-solving skills among middle school students who represent the future of the engineering workforce.

Looking Ahead

As humanity increasingly looks to the “blue economy” for sustainable resource management, climate tracking, and deep-sea exploration, the demand for robust underwater communication infrastructure will only accelerate. Through his relentless pursuit of smarter acoustic signal processing and intelligent marine networking, Dr. Aijun Song is helping clear the static—turning the ocean’s silent depths into an interconnected frontier.