Sensing Layer: Ocean & Seabed Intelligence

The sensing layer transforms undersea cables from passive pipes into active nervous systems for ocean observation.

Baseline Sensing (from v3)

• DAS/DTS-like sensing — Distributed Acoustic Sensing / Distributed Temperature Sensing for disturbances and condition monitoring
• Hydra nodes — Subsea junction hubs with local processing
• Docking hubs — AUV/ROV servicing stations
• Multi-sensor arrays — Modular instrument packages

Sensing Upgrades

SMART Cables Approach

Integrate climate/ocean sensors where technically and economically feasible:

Science feeds become a parallel value stream: climate + tsunami + geohazards.

Multi-Sensor Fusion

Blue Sphere sensing combines multiple data sources:

1
DAS/DTS fiber sensing
2
    ↓
3
Hydrophones + acoustic modems
4
    ↓
5
AIS/VDES maritime traffic
6
    ↓
7
SAR satellite imagery
8
    ↓
9
Weather data feeds
10
    ↓
11
    FUSION ENGINE
12
    ↓
13
Unified situational awareness

Edge Processing Requirements

You cannot ship everything raw.

Sensing data volumes are massive. Edge processing at Hydra nodes and landing stations must:

1. Filter — Discard noise, retain anomalies
2. Compress — Reduce bandwidth to backhaul
3. Encrypt — Secure sensitive data before transmission
4. Cache — Local retention for forensic analysis

Value Streams