Abstract
Wireless communication networks enable all members of society to connect with each other. With the prevalence of cell phones, laptops with built-in WiFi, Bluetooth headset, and other similar devices in our everyday world, we are totally immersed in communication technology. Moreover, our connectivity is almost entirely ubiquitous and its reach extends to the most remote corners of the planet. However, given the growing amount of wireless chatter and transmissions surrounding us across the airwaves, the ability for wireless technology to accommodate this amount of growth is quickly approaching a critical limit in terms of how many more devices can be supported across the same frequency within the context of the current regulatory framework used to simultaneously handle this plethora of wireless appliances. In this talk, we will examine one potential solution to this issue called “cognitive radio,” which is enabled by a wireless technology referred to as “software-defined radio” or SDR. Specifically, several innovative solutions and initiatives involving SDR designed to address this growth issue, as well as a description of several research activities currently underway at the Wireless Innovation Laboratory (http://www.wireless.wpi.edu/) at WPI, will be presented.
Biography
Dr. Alexander M. Wyglinski is internationally recognized as an expert in the field of wireless communications, specializing in cognitive and software-defined radio, dynamic spectrum access, cyber-physical systems and security, and wireless system optimization and adaptation. He is an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, MA, Director of the Wireless Innovation Laboratory (WI Lab), and the Lead Investigator of the Cyber Physical and Secure Systems (CPASS) initiative at WPI. Dr. Wyglinski received his B.Eng. and Ph.D. degrees in 1999 and 2005 from McGill University, and his M.Sc.(Eng.) degree from Queen’s University in Kingston in 2000, all in Electrical Engineering. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Wyglinski has published over 30 journal papers, over 75 conference papers, 9 book chapters, and two textbooks. Dr. Wyglinski’s research activities have been or are currently being sponsored by organizations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) – Space Vehicles Directorate, The MathWorks, Toyota InfoTechnology Center U.S.A., and the National Science Foundation. Dr. Wyglinski is a Senior Member of the IEEE, as well as a member of Sigma Xi, Eta Kappa Nu, and the ASEE.
