Dr. Aijun Song: Underwater Communications & Research

Pushing the Boundaries of the Blue Economy: The Pioneering Work of Dr. Aijun Song

Covering over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, the world’s oceans remain one of humanity’s final and most challenging frontiers. While wireless communication and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have transformed terrestrial life, communicating beneath the waves has historically proven notoriously difficult. Radio frequencies fade rapidly in water, leaving sound waves (acoustics) as the primary medium for underwater data transmission.

Enter Dr. Aijun Song, an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alabama, whose cutting-edge research is fundamentally reshaping how we explore, monitor, and understand aquatic environments.

Bridging the Underwater Communication Gap

Dr. Song’s academic journey laid a strong technical foundation for his current innovations. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Xidian University in China and went on to earn his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2005. Following postdoctoral work focusing on the earth, ocean, and environment, he joined academia, eventually establishing himself as a leading authority in underwater acoustics, autonomous systems, and signal processing.

In 2021, Dr. Song received the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, recognizing his early-career leadership and the transformative potential of his research. His work addresses a critical bottleneck in marine science: how to achieve reliable, long-range, and high-speed data transmission underwater to support the burgeoning “blue economy”.

Revolutionary Innovations: UA-RIS and Smart Oceans

Traditional underwater acoustic communication suffers from severe multi-path interference, high propagation delays, and significant energy constraints. To combat these issues, Dr. Song and his collaborative research teams have spearheaded groundbreaking developments in Underwater Acoustic Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (UA-RIS) and multi-layered acoustic architectures:

• Passive Beamforming and Signal Control: Unlike terrestrial radio-frequency smart surfaces, underwater acoustic surfaces must account for slow sound speeds and eco-friendly considerations to protect marine life. Dr. Song’s team has designed and field-tested prototype UA-RIS systems capable of reflecting acoustic waves precisely to designated directions using passive beamforming.
• In-Phase and Quadrature (IQ) Modulation: Recent breakthroughs feature multi-layered acoustic reflector designs (ML-ARIS) that use adjustable piezoelectric materials. This allows a single reflection unit to execute high-resolution amplitude and phase adjustments, dramatically improving data rates and communication ranges without requiring massive power inputs.

These technological leaps are vital for scaling the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT), enabling seamless coordination between Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), fixed sensor arrays, and surface stations.

Field Impact and Community Outreach

Dr. Song’s contributions extend far beyond theoretical mathematics and laboratory simulations. He and his research team regularly conduct rigorous field demonstrations—such as deploying advanced AUV networks for next-generation water-observing technologies—helping government agencies, environmental groups, and academic institutions monitor water quality and aquatic ecosystems.

In addition to his marine research, Dr. Song is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of STEM leaders. He serves as the chapter coordinator for the Tuscaloosa MATHCOUNTS program, organizing local math competitions to foster critical problem-solving skills among middle school students—the vital framework upon which future engineering achievements are built.

Looking Ahead

As human reliance on marine resources grows—spanning environmental conservation, offshore energy, and climate tracking—the innovations pioneered by Dr. Aijun Song provide the invisible digital thread connecting us to the deep sea. By turning unpredictable underwater acoustic channels into structured, intelligent pathways, his work is helping humanity unlock the secrets of the ocean with unprecedented clarity.