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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 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.   
      
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