Hydromea Launches LUMA X, Wireless Underwater Optical Modem

Hydromea launched a new patent-pending subsea wireless communication modem LUMA X. The LUMA X can beam data using light at up to 10 Mbit/s with a 120-degree cone. With that, the LUMA X enables real-time streaming of HD-quality video and 4K images wirelessly through water – allowing the operators of autonomous underwater vehicles to monitor its interventions from the comfort of its control rooms onshore.

“The wide-angle beam gives subsea vehicles connecting via the LUMA X a lot of freedom of movement,” said Felix Schill, co-founder and CTO of Hydromea. “The small size of the modem and its standard transparent link allow for easy retrofitting into legacy systems.”

“Radio waves do not penetrate water well, so resolving high-bandwidth communication underwater, for streaming high volumes of data, is a huge challenge,” said Igor Martin, co-founder and CEO of Hydromea. “With our focus on miniaturization and scalability, LUMA X is the first optical device of its kind in such form factor with these impressive characteristics. It is also extremely power-efficient which makes it suited for battery-powered applications to collect data without running a cable. Moreover, it is sensitive enough to not requiring direct line of sight to communicate in murky waters.”

LUMA X comes in a titanium housing with serial and ethernet connectors and will be pressure-rated to 6,000 meter depth. It has patent-pending technology to work in various lighting conditions and turbidity.