Realising the need for initiating research activities in the area of Ocean Electronics and Explorations, which are going to be one of the major national and international issues of the current Century, the Department of Electronics of the Cochin University of Science and Technology has started research and manpower training programmes with the active support from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Govt. of India), Department of Electronics (Govt. of India), Department of Ocean Development (Govt. of India), University Grants Commission, etc.. In view of the importance of this area, the UGC has approved the establishment of a Centre for Ocean Electronics during the VIII Plan period with essential staff and infrastructure. An amount of Rs.32 lakhs was sanctioned by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in two installments for this Centre. The UGC has also extended an additional financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 70.77 lakhs under the Special Assistance Programme at the DRS level with thrust area in Ocean Electronics. This Centre, which was established as a joint venture of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Govt. of India) and the University Grants Commission was opened in 1991, and to mark the occasion of the formal opening of the Centre for Ocean Electronics of the Cochin University of Science & Technology, the First Symposium on Ocean Electronics was organized in this Department during 18 to 20 December, 1991. The Centre for Ocean Electronics of the Department of Electronics, Cochin University of Science & Technology has successfully implemented many technology development as well as research and development projects with the active support from various Government of India Departments/Agencies.

The following are the ongoing projects presently being pursued in this Centre

1. Algorithms for Underwater Image Enhancement, Object Detection & Cable Tracking, sponsored by Naval Research Board, New Delhi

Some of the projects, successfully completed include

1. HMM Based Target Classifier with Improved Success Rates, sponsored by Naval Research Board, New Delhi
2. Sonic Characterisation of Marine Species in Collaboration with IIT Delhi, sponsored by MoES
3. Development of Techniques for Blind Source Separation sponsored by NPOL, DRDO, Govt. of India
4. Tuna Resources of the Indian EEZ-An Assessment of Growth and Migratory Patterns, sponsored by DOD, Govt. of India
5. Development of Autonomous Buoy Systems for Radio Acoustic Positioning and Tracking, sponsored by DIT, Govt. of India
6. Development of Miniaturized Archival Tags sponsored by Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India
7. Implementation of an Intelligent Identifier for Ambient Noise Sources, sponsored by Naval Research Board, New Delhi
8. Development of Acoustic Techniques for Fish and DSL Biomass Estimations, sponsored by DOD
9. Implementation of CDMA Communication Systems, sponsored by NPOL (DRDO), Cochin
10. Development of Algorithms for Spread Spectrum Underwater Communication Systems, sponsored by NPOL (DRDO), Cochin
11. DSA Programme of UGC with Thrust Areas in Ocean Electronics, Microwave Electronics, Microprocessor Applications and Signal Processing
12. DRS in Ocean Electronics under the Special Assistance Programme of UGC
13. Computer Aided Design of Transducer, sponsored by UGC
14. Centre for Studies in Transducer Systems for Ocean Engineering Applications, Sponsored by the MHRD, Govt. of India
15. Software Development for Echo Simulation and Processing, sponsored by Department of Electronics, Govt. of India
16. Investigations on Low Frequency Piezopolymer Sensor Elements and Arrays for Underwater Applications, Sponsored by DoE, Govt. of India
17. Development of an Automated Array Gain Control System, sponsored by STEC, Govt. of Kerala