Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory: Funding

Funding

SII-Center: SpectrumX – An NSF Spectrum Innovation Center

Funded by NSF

Award information:

Award number: 2132700
Duration: 9/21-9/26

Short Summary

This award funds the establishment of the first national center for wireless spectrum research, SpectrumX. The vision for SpectrumX is to be an inclusive multidisciplinary and increasingly interdisciplinary center that applies convergence research and team science to promote coexistence among disparate use cases in the radio spectrum, particularly including “public good” use cases for science and defense. In particular, SpectrumX will pursue its initial research strategy in scientific receiver hardware with interference measurement and mitigation capabilities; instrumentation of the radio spectrum in terms of advanced sensing networks; collecting and sharing accurate regulatory, usage, and economic data; flexible use rights that align incentives with efficient outcomes; and distributed, data-rich, and cloud-ready system designs for more efficient spectrum management and utilization.

Mariya Zheleva, Key Personnel
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Computer Science
1215 Western Ave., UAB 418,
Albany, NY 12222
University at Albany - SUNY
PH: 518-437-4941
FX: 518-437-4949
Email: mzheleva@albany.edu
Project website: www.spectrumx.org/

CAREER: Automating the measurement and management of the radio spectrum for future spectrum-sharing applications

Funded by NSF

Award information:

Award number: 1845858
Duration: 5/19-5/24

Short Summary

A growing number of domains that drive economic growth and humanity’s well-being, including healthcare, emergency management and national defense, hinge on wireless network connectivity. This has created a market potential of $640.9 billion, which cannot be realized as existing networks operate at capacity. Despite this potential, only 8% of the radio spectrum is allocated to wireless communication technologies. This minimal allocation creates artificial scarcity of frequency resources, whereby popular bands are saturated, while others are under-utilized. In response, wireless technologies have begun to incorporate new hardware and software to boost their spectrum efficiency through opportunistic frequency reuse. While promising, this trajectory of innovation cannot be sustained unless we establish a framework for principled spectrum measurement and management that can embrace unforeseen network and sensor capabilities in support of future spectrum policy, policing and technology. This project develops a long-term, integrated program of research, education and outreach to (i) establish a scientific and technological framework for automated spectrum measurement in support of shared-spectrum access, and (ii) to train the next generation of wireless specialists at the intersection of networks, digital communications and machine learning. The project will work closely with industry and standardization efforts to ensure broader adoption.

Mariya Zheleva, PI
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Computer Science
1215 Western Ave., UAB 418,
Albany, NY 12222
University at Albany - SUNY
PH: 518-437-4941
FX: 518-437-4949
Email: mzheleva@albany.edu
Project website: www.cs.albany.edu/spectrumcareer

Recently supported students:
Andrew Okoro, PhD
Timothy Warren, REU Fellow
Habib Affinnih, REU Fellow

SCC: Integrating Heterogeneous Wide-Area Networks and Advanced Data Science to Bridge the Digital Divide in Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response

Funded by NSF

Award information:

Award number: 1831547
Duration: 9/18-9/22

Short Summary

The goal of this project is to develop, implement, and systematically analyze a comprehensive framework and a multi-layer platform for timely information collection, integration, exchange and dissemination to support emergency preparedness and response (EPR) in rural communities. This goal will be met through three primary activities. First, the project will develop a heterogeneous network architecture and corresponding protocols that leverage wide-area wireless backhaul over TV white spaces, WiFi and pocket-switching to provide (i) continuous communication to first responders and (ii) delay-tolerant information access to residents. In addition, the project will design a smartphone app which will support the collection of information from different sources and its exchange among first responders, government agencies and residents. Second, the mobility patterns and network availability collected will enable the development of a dynamic probabilistic community network model. Novel graph-theoretic algorithms will identify information-depleted sub-communities and inform optimal information dissemination strategies. Finally, the project will assess adoption and use of the technologies by various community members to maximize the benefits associated with timely, rich and high-quality information, disseminated through technological devices. Continuous community engagement activities for data provisioning, app design, impact co-evaluation and path to sustainability of the project are key factors for success. The framework will be co-designed and piloted in collaboration with the Town of Thurman, NY. Transferability to the broader rural context will be assessed by engaging two additional rural communities in coordination with the AirBand initiative.

Co-PIs:
Petko Bogdanov, Computer Science, UAlbany
Mila Gasco, Center for Technology and Government, UAlbany
Ramon Gil-Garcia, Center for Technology and Government, UAlbany

Recently supported students:
Vaasu Taneja, PhD
Karyn Doke, PhD
Omkar Kulkarni, PhD
Tony Comanzo, REU Fellow
Habib Affinnih, Undergraduate
Jason Viviano, Undergraduate
Ayman Salloum, Undergraduate
Matthew Jacobs, Undergraduate
Domenic Recchia, Undergraduate

CRII: NeTS: Next Generation Spectrum Measurement Algorithms and Infrastructures

Funded by NSF

Award information:

Award number: 1657476
Duration: 2/17-2/20

Short Summary

The current paradigm of exclusive spectrum allocation is creating artificial scarcity of spectrum resources that has a dramatic impact on network performance and user experience. Underutilized bands provide an opportunity for more efficient, shared spectrum access that has recently brought together policymakers, industry leaders and academic researchers to set an agenda for next-generation spectrum management. A critical enabler of such advances is deep understanding of spectrum use. This award will support research seeking to impact the scientific community, the policy domain and the public, by providing methods and informing system designs for efficient spectrum measurement and characterization, and informing the design of future mobile wireless networks and spectrum policy. Products from this research will be included in the PI’s undergraduate and graduate courses, demonstrating the positive policy and societal impact of computer science and promoting the discipline to diverse groups of students.

Recently supported students:
Wooseok Kim, PhD
Wei Xiong, PhD
Karyn Doke, PhD
Eman Shah, REU Fellow
Jason Viviano, REU Fellow

FRAP-A: Spectrum measurement algorithms and infrastructures

Funded by University at Albany-SUNY

Award information:

Duration: 01/17-05/19

Short Summary

This project employs fundamental knowledge in signal processing and propagation, machine learning, and large-scale measurement to devise fast and robust algorithmsfor adaptive spectrum sensing, spectrum data management, and scan characterization. In conjunction with novel algorithms, we will also explore the cost and mobility tradeoffs insensing infrastructureto inform efficient end-to-end infrastructure design that minimizes cost while maximizing the learning outcomes of spectrum sensing. The proposed research will bridge the gap between algorithm design and measurement infrastructures and will introduce the first holistic framework for spectrum measurement and characterization to facilitate next generation spectrum management.

Recently supported students:
Wei Xiong, PhD