Olaoluwayimika Olugbenle
MIT Department: Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Fadel Adib
Research Supervisor: Jack Rademacher
Undergraduate Institution: Clarkson University
Hometown: Lagos, Nigeria
Website: LinkedIn
Biography
Coming from Lagos, Nigeria, Olaolu Olugbenle studies Computer Engineering at Clarkson University. He honed his ability to collaborate with others to develop solutions to issues in his community. One example is a system that produces voltage from the heat of generator exhausts. This experience showed him the value of research as an investigatory tool in solutions development. Today, he desires to obtain a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science to better position him to invent technologies that mitigate challenges similar to the ones his community faces. At his undergraduate institution, his research focuses on the development of a hand-held system for vital signs extraction (e.g., heart rate) and user authentication via PPG signals. His career goal is to use research as a tool to contribute to the digital transformation of key sectors (such as energy, healthcare, or agriculture) in developing economies. Olaolu is an active percussionist and footballer, and will not turn down a second helping of plantain.
Abstract
Low-power Sensor Integration for Underwater Backscatter Systems
Olaoluwayimika Olugbenle1, Jack Rademacher2, and Fadel Adib2
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Clarkson University
2Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
Real-time and long-term monitoring of underwater environments will yield advancements in biodiversity conservation and climate change monitoring. However, to achieve these
real-time and long-term deployments, ultra-low-power underwater communication and monitoring systems must be developed. Recently, underwater backscatter has proven to be a promising technology capable of communicating at net-zero-power by reflecting and absorbing acoustic signals rather than generating them, enabling its operation at extremely low power levels (~100 microwatts). However, existing research is yet to integrate this technology with monitoring systems for data capture from the ocean. In order for underwater backscatter to be a useful platform for the aforementioned applications, it must be paired with a similarly low-power sensing system that can provide high-quality oceanographic measurements. This work presents a custom sensing subsystem capable of monitoring temperature and depth (pressure) – two of the most widely captured measurements in the ocean – at a power budget of 360 microwatts (200 microamps at 1.8 volts) to enable it to last for at least 6 months on a single battery charge. We also analyzed the accuracy, resolution, and dynamic range of our subsystem. From this work, we envision the proliferation of ocean IoT devices built on underwater backscatter for the scientific community.
