Dr. Aijun Song: Underwater Communications and Research

Bridging the Acoustic Depths: The Pioneering Work of Dr. Aijun Song

While humanity has mapped the surface of the Moon and beamed data across vast interplanetary expanses via radio frequencies, our own planet’s vast aquatic interiors remain largely hidden in communication dark zones. Because radio waves attenuate rapidly in water, standard wireless infrastructure is rendered useless beneath the surface.

Enter Dr. Aijun Song, an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alabama. Dr. Song is a trailblazing researcher whose work in underwater acoustic communications, robotics, and signal processing is transforming how we explore, monitor, and understand the Earth’s oceans, rivers, and lakes.

Academic Roots and Evolution

Dr. Song’s academic journey laid a rigorous foundation for his complex engineering pursuits. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Xidian University in Xi’an, China, before moving to the United States to complete his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Delaware in 2005.

Following roles as a postdoctoral researcher and research professor at Delaware, Dr. Song joined the faculty at the University of Alabama, where he has expanded his research footprint. His expertise spans a multidisciplinary spectrum, including:

• Underwater Acoustic Communications & Networks
• Underwater Autonomous Vehicles (UAVs) & Robotics
• Signal Processing and Statistical Channel Modeling
• Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT)

Key Research Breakthroughs

1. Underwater Acoustic Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (UA-RIS)

One of Dr. Song’s most exciting frontiers involves UA-RIS and Multilayered Acoustic Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (ML-ARIS). Partnering with fellow researchers, Dr. Song has helped pioneer the transition of intelligent surfaces—widely studied in terrestrial wireless networks—into the acoustic domain.

Because sound waves travel slowly and interact uniquely with marine boundaries, designing underwater reflectors is exceptionally challenging. Dr. Song’s team has developed and field-tested prototype surfaces equipped with independently adjustable piezoelectric elements. These surfaces use passive beamforming and in-phase/quadrature (IQ) modulation to steer, enhance, or attenuate acoustic waves with high resolution. This technology vastly extends the communication range and data rates of underwater devices while minimizing environmental noise pollution for marine life.

2. Enhancing Underwater Autonomy and Media Access Control (MAC)

Connecting autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) requires smart network protocols that adapt to dynamic marine environments. Dr. Song’s research addresses how AUV networks can reliably exchange data, optimize power consumption, and dynamically adjust transmission power relative to ambient noise levels. His work has been supported by major grants, including a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award, highlighting his contributions to building robust architectures for underwater robotic collaboration.

Real-World Impact and Community Outreach

Dr. Song’s research does not stay confined to theoretical modeling or laboratory water tanks. His team frequently conducts high-profile field tests and demonstrations in natural bodies of water like Lake Tuscaloosa and the Black Warrior River. These deployments—often showcased through programs like the USGS FLOW Academy—demonstrate how next-generation water-observing sensor networks and robotic swarms can track environmental health, monitor water quality, and support marine ecology.

Beyond his engineering laboratory, Dr. Song is deeply committed to community STEM education. He launched and coordinates the Tuscaloosa chapter of the MATHCOUNTS program, dedicating his time to fostering middle school students’ interest in mathematics—the bedrock of engineering and scientific discovery.

Looking Ahead

As industries increasingly look toward the “blue economy”—encompassing offshore renewable energy, environmental disaster prevention, and automated aquatic monitoring—the work of innovators like Dr. Aijun Song becomes indispensable. By turning silent, murky depths into connected data ecosystems, Dr. Song is helping humanity bridge the ultimate technological divide between land and sea.