|
Research
Activities
My primary research interests are in
the theory of digital communications and signal processing, with focus on system design and performance
analysis for time-varying channels. Such channels are found in many
wireless communication systems, such as mobile terrestrial systems and
satellite systems. My research has a particular focus on underwater
wireless (acoustic) communications.
The major problem encountered on
underwater acoustic channels is that the system bandwidth is limited, while
the low speed of sound (1500 m/s in water) and time-varying multipath
propagation cause extreme signal distortion. Acoustic signals also suffer from
attenuation that depends not only on the distance, but also on the signal
frequency. Together, these facts result in a communication medium that
combines the worst of radio worlds: poor link quality of a terrestrial
system, and high latency of a satellite system. As a result, acoustic
communication system design poses many challenging problems.
At present, I work on several problems
in this area, ranging from statistical channel characterization to adaptive
signal processing, network design and optimization. Examples of my current
research projects include detection methods for multi-carrier signals
transmitted over severely Doppler-distorted channels, networks of
autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), data gathering in band-limited
sensor networks and reconstruction of the underlying field from limited
observations. I also work closely with the scientists and engineers at the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and participate in the development of
the WHOI micro-modem.
|