WIT’s Floating Sensor Network Demonstrated at the 1st National Robotics Stakeholders Forum

Last week, the Centre for Water Informatics and Technology (WIT), LUMS participated in the 1st National Robotics Stakeholders Forum: Underwater Vehicles and Technology, held at the University of Lahore.

During the event, Dr. Mohammad Aamir Khan expressed keen interest in WIT’s Floating Sensor Network (FSN) project and requested a demonstration of the system before the Chief Guest, Rear Admiral Sohail Ahmad Azmie, Pakistan Navy, who was also serving as Commander Central Punjab (COMCEP) and Commandant of the Pakistan Navy War College.

A WIT team, including Research Associate Moeen Ahmad Azam, under the guidance of Dr. Talha Manzoor and Dr. Naveed Ul Hassan, with support from Manager Operations Soban Hameed Saigol, made the necessary arrangements for a live demonstration of the Floating Sensor Network. The system was showcased alongside the winning projects from the forum’s Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) competition, providing an opportunity to highlight WIT’s work in distributed sensing, wireless communication, and intelligent localization in aquatic environments.

During the demonstration, Rear Admiral Sohail Ahmad Azmie was briefed on the key features and capabilities of the Floating Sensor Network. He showed considerable interest in the project and engaged the team in an extended technical discussion, inviting additional technical members of his delegation to join the conversation. The discussion focused particularly on the system’s MAC-based communication, RSSI-based localization, and network architecture.

The discussion also explored potential parallels between WIT’s floating sensor nodes and sonobuoy systems used in maritime and anti-submarine applications. The delegation highlighted the potential for further developing the platform toward advanced maritime sensing applications and discussed possible avenues for extending the underlying technology to sonobuoy-related research.

Particular attention was given to the project’s RSSI-based localization framework and AI-driven path-loss modelling, which provide a foundation for estimating node positions and understanding wireless signal propagation in dynamic aquatic environments. The discussion underscored the broader potential of the Floating Sensor Network as a research platform extending beyond its original application in water-quality monitoring.

The visit also concluded on a celebratory note, with Moeen Ahmad Azam receiving an Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of his work and contribution.

WIT extends its sincere appreciation to Dr. Mohammad Aamir Khan for providing this valuable platform for interaction and knowledge exchange. WIT also acknowledges Ms. Arooj Butt, Research Engineer at IECE, for her excellent coordination and continued support throughout the visit.

The event provided a valuable opportunity for WIT to showcase its research, engage with experts from the robotics and maritime technology communities, and explore potential avenues for translating its work in intelligent sensor networks into broader applications in aquatic and maritime systems.