Lee Jin-Young, a graduate student of the Ubiquitous System Research Lab (adviser: Park Soo-Hyun) will be publishing his thesis titled “A Focus on Practical Assessment of MAC Protocols for Underwater Acoustic Communication with Regard to Network Architecture” at the SCIE journal IETE Technical Review, Volume 30/Issue 4. This thesis classifies various MAC protocols in underwater sensor networks based on network topology, offers a thorough comparison and analysis, and sets a new standard for MAC protocols by taking into consideration the underwater communications environment and user needs.  

Underwater communications require the use of sound waves that travel within the water medium that is subjected to harsher environmental factors. Due to such complications, the area has shown a comparative lack of research, unlike its land-based RF communications counterpart. Most of the existing literature stops short at listing the different types of MAC protocols used underwater.

On the other hand, this thesis classifies underwater MAC protocols based on network topology and uses mathematical models for objective analysis and comparison. By taking into consideration the future environment of underwater communications and user needs, the paper further suggests an objective standard for selecting the most appropriate MAC protocol. It is a groundbreaking research that has countless applications in marine monitoring systems, marine resource exploration, floating fish farm management, anti-pollution systems for rivers, and national defense systems.

Interview with the author, Lee Jin-Young
The publication of this thesis took more than a year. I had learned a lot in my undergraduate years and especially since I joined the Ubiquitous System Research Lab, but still I felt limited by my meager experience and knowledge as a graduate student. Even as I wrote the thesis, every sentence raised a new doubt. That is why I want to offer my sincere gratitude to my professors and senior researchers who helped me overcome these shortcomings. Without their invaluable advice and support, I would not have been able to complete this work, let alone get it published in an SCIE journal.
Based on this thesis, I plan to continue my research in MAC protocols for underwater acoustic communications while venturing into the domain of practical applications.

IETE Technical Review journal is an international academic journal in the field of computer science, with an impact factor of 0.724 (as of 2011).