Net Fishing Localization: Performance of TDOA-based Positioning Technique in Underwater Acoustic Channels Using Chirp Signals

Underwater acoustic localization has a wide range of applications, such as tracking autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, and surface vessel navigation. In this work, we focus on time difference of arrival (TDOA) based positioning to connect and track the fishing nets underwater. This application has environmental merit as it would contribute to long-term sustainability by preventing underwater waste. More precisely, we study the impact of underwater acoustic (UWA) channels on TDOA calculation. We introduce computation methods such as despreading and correlation and provide a performance comparison using the Watermark simulator. Finally, the result of a localization scenario in the ocean is presented as root mean square error (RMSE) using Bellhop for channel modeling.