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Research
Activities
My primary research interests are in the theory of
digital communications and
signal processing, with focus on system design and performance
analysis in 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 and fundamental capacity
analyses, to specific signal processing methods and network protocols.
Examples of my current research projects include adaptive signal processing
for multi-carrier modulation, such as orthogonal frequency-division
multiplexing (OFDM) over Doppler-distorted channels; the use of multiple input
(transmit) and multiple output (receive) elements (MIMO), and efficient
medium access control (MAC) and network
protocols for sharing the broadcast acoustic channel. 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.
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