On August 24, 2024, during the 7th international Conference on Innovation & Cooperation in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, the Joint Industrial Project on Underwater Acoustic Communication and Submarine Terrain Imaging successfully conducted its first application demonstration in the Harbin section of the Songhua River. A total of 27 scholars from institutions including Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Umm Al-Qura University in Saudi Arabia, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Tianjin University, the Institute of Acoustics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen University, Wuhan University of Technology, and Harbin Engineering University participated. This demonstration focused on underwater acoustic communication, acoustic releaser, and multibeam imaging sonar, with the goal of achieving comprehensive underwater information sensing and interconnection of underwater engineering equipment.

The voice communication device is of great importance in diving activities and underwater operations. It not only ensures the safety of divers but also significantly enhances their work efficiency. Divers input voice signals through a microphone, which are then compressed through modulation and encoding processes. The processed signals are transmitted through the water via a transducer. At the receiving end, the decoded voice signals are output to the receiver through headphones, completing the communication process. The device uses time-division multiplexing, enabling full-duplex communication, which greatly improves communication efficiency.

The multibeam imaging sonar enables high-precision, full-coverage, and comprehensive data measurement, allowing for autonomous underwater information acquisition and processing. After capturing 3D underwater information of rivers, lakes, and seas, it can create a full 3D panoramic presentation of the underwater environment. Through data fusion and analysis algorithms, the efficiency of processing multibeam sonar data is greatly improved, enhancing data quality. By integrating terrain data with water body and fish group data, it is possible to construct high-precision 3D underwater terrain models and biological distribution maps, enabling accurate 3D panoramic reconstruction of the underwater environment. The development of a real-time data processing and analysis system allows for rapid processing during data acquisition, providing timely updates on dynamic changes in underwater terrain and biological activity. This system offers real-time information support for fields such as scientific research, fisheries management, and underwater engineering.

The acoustic release is an essential core device in underwater mooring systems, widely used in marine science, ocean engineering, and marine development. It is one of the most extensively used underwater acoustic devices. The acoustic release operates through acoustic remote control and mechanical release. It consists of a surface deck unit and an underwater acoustic release unit. During operation, the underwater release unit receives an acoustic unlock signal from the deck unit, which triggers the mechanical locking mechanism to open. Once the device detaches from the seabed anchor weight, the buoy carries the mooring to the surface, allowing for the recovery of marine instruments.

The participating researchers provided detailed explanations to the representatives involved in the joint research on the principles of various underwater acoustic devices. They also demonstrated the operation of these devices on-site and allowed the representatives to operate the equipment themselves. All representatives witnessed the test results firsthand. A total of seven domestic and international research institutions expressed their willingness to jointly undertake an industrial research project, and cooperation intention agreements were signed on-site. The signing of these agreements will greatly accelerate the transition of underwater acoustic devices from theoretical research to engineering applications, and strengthen collaboration among experts and scholars in the same field, both domestically and internationally.