Category: Research

High Resolution ToA Estimation via Optimal Waveform Design

ToA PaperThis paper introduces a novel method to improve the Time of Arrival (ToA) estimation resolution for a fixed available bandwidth in the presence of unknown multipath frequency selective (MPFS) channels. Significant desire on utilized bandwidth reduction in wireless technologies endorses exploiting this technique to increase ranging resolution and/or time synchronization while low bandwidth signal are exploited. Exploiting this method would have extensive impact on variety of technologies which enjoys ToA as ranging technique such as radar, wireless communications and etc.

By Mohsen Jamalabdollahi, Student Member, IEEE, and Seyed (Reza) Zekavat, Senior Member, IEEE.

Published in: IEEE Transactions on Communications ( Volume: PP, Issue: 99 )

DOI: 10.1109/TCOMM.2017.2654240

ToA Ranging and Layer Thickness Computation in Nonhomogeneous Media

Seyed Reza Zekavat
Seyed Reza Zekavat

This paper, by Mohsen Jamalabdollahi (WLPS), and Seyed Reza Zekavat (ECE/WLPS), introduces a novel and effective ranging approach in Non-Homogeneous (NH) media consisting of frequency dispersive submedia via time-of-arrival (ToA) and Direction-of-Arrival (DoA) merger. Exploiting this technique, sensor node can be localized with in variety of NH media such as underground layers with different water content, airborne to underwater channels or even human body.

Moreover, this technique proposes a novel approach which can be utilized for layer thickness detection which have an prominent impact on the area of geoscience and remote sensing.

This paper is published in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing which is ranked the second journal in area of remote sensing according to Scholar google metrics.

Leonard Bohmann Quoted on the Handling of Power Outages

The Virginia Gazette quoted Leonard Bohmann, associate dean of Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering, in a lengthy article on power companies’ back-up plans for handling power outages on peninsulas caused by faults in the transmission system.

Dominion Virginia Power sets plan for emergency blackouts

Dominion Virginia Power has taken the unusual step of planning for an emergency blackout, with a plan to cut power to 150,000 customers on the Peninsula in the extremely rare event of faults at two components of its high-voltage network occurring at a time when demand for power is high.

Leonard Bohmann
Leonard Bohmann

“In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need an RAS because the system should be able to handle two faults. But it looks like their plan to deal with shutting the power plant has been taking longer than they expected,” said Leonard Bohmann, a professor of electrical engineering at Michigan Technological University, who lives in one of the few other regions of the country where a similar plan is in place, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Read more at The Virginia Gazette, by Dave Ress.

Cyber-Physical Systems Story Featured

Shiyan Hu
Shiyan Hu

Online outlets from the National Science Foundation to Science Daily to Electronic Product Design and Test have featured a research keynote paper led by Shiyan Hu (ECE) on cyber-physical systems. Other outlets include: Communications of the ACM, Industrial Safety and Security Source, Michigan Ag Connection and close to a dozen other science blogs.

In the News

Science 360, a science news website published by the National Science Foundation (NSF), featured a Michigan Tech research news story about Shiyan Hu’s (ECE) research as its top headline story of the day on Jan. 4.

Lucia Gauchia Quoted on Graphene Batteries

Lucia Gauchia
Lucia Gauchia

Lucia Gauchia (ECE, ME-EM) discusses graphene batteries in a Business Insider post about Henrik Fisker’s new electric car model. A number of other business, tech and science news media picked up the story including Yahoo! News, the San Francisco Chronicle, seattlePI.com and Latest Nigerian News.

Henrik Fisker is using a revolutionary new battery to power his Tesla killer

We took a closer look at the battery technology Fisker is promising to use, which he refers to as “the major leap, the next big step.”

Rather than working with conventional lithium-ion batteries, Fisker is turning to graphene supercapacitors.

Graphene is both the thinnest and strongest material discovered so far.

“Graphene shows a higher electron mobility, meaning that electrons can move faster through it. This will, e.g. charge a battery much faster,” Lucia Gauchia, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and energy storage systems at Michigan Technological University, told Business Insider. “Graphene is also lighter and it can present a higher active surface, so that more charge can be stored.”

Read more at the Business Insider, by Danielle Muoio.

Shiyan Hu to Deliver CPSCom 2016 Keynote

Shiyan Hu
Shiyan Hu

Shiyan Hu (ECE) is delivering a keynote talk at the Ninth IEEE International Conference on Cyber, Physical and Social Computing (CPSCom 2016). CPSCom, sponsored by IEEE Computer Society, is a major CPS technical conference in IEEE and is a premier forum to bring together researchers to present the state-of-the-art research results and exchange ideas in the area of CPS. In the ninth year of the successful CPSCom conference series, the organizing committee invited three world-leading CPS experts to deliver the keynote speeches. The conference takes place December 15-18, 2016, in Chengdu, China.

Hu will deliver the talk of “Smart Energy Cyber-Physical System Security: Threat Analysis and Defense Technologies.” In addition to directing the Center for Cyber-Physical Systems on campus, he is an ACM Distinguished Speaker, an IEEE Computer Society Distinguished Visitor, an invited participant for U.S. National Academy of Engineering Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, and a recipient of National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. He is a Fellow of IET and the Editor-In-Chief of IET Cyber-Physical Systems: Theory & Applications. More information about his keynote speech can be found online.

Jeremy Bos Awarded Young Investigator Research Program Grant

Bos_photo_20161012_rev1The Air Force Office of Scientific Research has announced that it will award approximately $20.8 million in grants to 58 scientists and engineers through the Air Force’s Young Investigator Research Program (YIP). This year AFOSR received over 230 proposals in response to the AFOSR broad agency announcement solicitation.

Jeremy Bos (ECE) will receive a three-year YIP grant for his research in Imaging Theory and Mitigation in Extreme Turbulence-Induced Anisoplanatism.

The YIP is open to scientists and engineers at research institutions across the United States who received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees in the last five years and who show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research.

The objective of this program is to foster creative basic research in science and engineering, enhance early career development of outstanding young investigators, and increase opportunities for the young investigators to recognize the Air Force mission and the related challenges in science and engineering.

The ECE Department congratulates Dr. Bos on his continued accomplishments.

AFOSR press release, 10/11/2016