Current/Recent Projects
Collaborative Research: A Systems-Centric Foundation for Electrical and Computer Engineering Education
Principal Investigator: S. Thomas, Co-P.I. T. Weller.
Granting Agency: The National Science Foundation.
Development of systems-centric, hands-on learning modules for the introductory circuits course. This is a joint project with U. Hawaii, U.Minnesota, U. Vermont and Northern Arizona U.
GOALI Collaborative Research: 3D RF Microsystems using Direct Digital Manufacturing Technology
Principal Investigator: T. Weller, Co-P.I. C. Lusk (Mechanical Engineering) and K. Church (Sciperio),
Granting Agency: The National Science Foundation.
Investigate new 3D microwave systems using digital manufacturing techniques. This is a collaborative project with Georgia Tech (J. Papapolymerou).
Integrated Antenna System Design for High Clutter and High Bandwidth Channels Using Advanced Propagation Models
Principal Investigator: T. Weller
Granting Agency: National Science Foundation
The objective is to investigate adaptive antenna systems for modeling for high clutter environments in machine-to-machine applications.
Rapid Design of Optimal Digitally-Manufactured 3D Electrically-Small Antennas
Principal Investigator: T. Weller
Granting Agency: Central Intelligence Agency.
Investigate design and optimization tools for digitally manufactured small antennas.
3D Formable RF Materials
Principal Investigator: T. Weller
Granting Agency: Army Research Office
Microwave characterization of materials used in 3D printed RF electronics.
80-100 GHz Communications System
Principal Investigator: T. Weller
Granting Agency: Harris.
The purpose of this project is to design and demonstrate a 80-100 GHz wideband communications system.
3D Fabricated Low Cost Phased Array Technology
Principal Investigator: T. Weller
Granting Agency: Office of Naval Research
Develop a 2-18 GHz current sheet array unit cell using 3D direct digital manufacturing.
Three-Dimensional (3D) Structural Radio Frequency (RF) Electronics
Principal Investigator: T. Weller
Granting Agency: Air Force Research Lab.
Investigate a 2.45 GHz phased array module using direct print additive manufacturing techniques.
Improving the Communications Performance and Reliability of In Vivo Wireless Medical Devices
Principal Investigator: Gitlin
Granting Agency: National Science Foundation
Advance novel wireless communications technologies that enable high performance, reliable communications, and the ability to overcome link and/or power failures among networked in vivo medical devices. A prototypical MARVEL robotic camera is being designed with high-definition video and OFDM digital communications to replace the earlier VGA video and analog communications device.
Channel Modeling and Optimized Radio Access Design for In Vivo Wireless Communication
Principal Investigator: Arslan and Gitlin
Granting Agency: QNRF
This project is directed towards developing reliable signal processing and wireless communications technologies and methodologies to address the major challenges of the in vivo communication channel that will be faced by emerging wireless body area networks. Channel models have been derived to describe the in vivo channel and reported on in many publications including a recently accepted survey paper in an IEEE publication and an invited book chapter is being finalized.
Holistically Application-Aware Multi-dimensional Cognitive Radio (HAMCR)
Principal Investigator: Arslan and Gitlin [and Haas (Cornell)
Granting Agency: NSF
HAMCR is an application-aware cognitive radio with new technology that enables substantial growth in the capacity of wireless networks, with support for diverse applications, without additional spectrum. HAMCR maximizes spectrum utilization by trading off the spectral resource allocations of connections for the application-level QoS, while still maintaining acceptable levels of QoS for the users of the underlying applications, thus satisfying an increased number of users in times of shortage of spectral resources. This work led to several papers and conference presentations and was the subject of Chao He’s PhD dissertation.
Application of Photosynthetic Proteins in a Field-Effect Transistor for Low Light Intensity Detection
Principal Investigator: A. Takshi, Co-P.I. J. Wang
Granting Agency: National Science Foundation
The goal is to employ proteins from photosynthetic cells to develop a field effect phototransistor. Due to the unique properties of photon absorption and charge separation in photosynthetic proteins, theoretically the proteins are more sensitive to photons than conventional semiconductors.
Acoustic Emission Technology on a Chip
Principal Investigator: J. Wang, Co-PI R. Guldiken
Granting Agency: WavesinSolids, LLC through National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR Phase I and Phase IB Program.
The goal of this work is to thoroughly investigate the folded-beam MEMS resonator with interdigitated capacitive transducers to address the current limitations of MEMS acoustic emission sensors such as low sensitivity.
Development and evaluation at the laboratory level of biosensors for the diagnosis of all dengue virus serotypes based on the Non-Structural protein- 1 (NS-1)
Principal Investigator: J. Wang
Granting Agency: The Administrative Department of Science, Technology and Innovation–COLCIENCIAS, Colombia.
The aim of this work is to develop lab-on-a-chip devices that can be used as immunoassays for all dengue virus serotypes based on the Non-Structural protein-1 (NS-1) for accurate and early diagnosis of dengue infection.
Research and Training Internship for Enhanced Microwave and Millimeter-Wave Circuit Design, Characterization and Modeling,
Principal Investigator: J. Wang
Granting Agency: Modelithics, Inc. and Florida High Tech Corridor.
Research and training grant for development and verification of improved models as well as modeling and characterization techniques for high frequency transistors.
Pathways to Market of Piezoelectric Elastomer Composites for Additive Manufacturing of Flexible 3D Conformal Acoustic Emission and Ultrasonic Transducer Arrays
Principal Investigator: J. Wang
Granting Agency: National Science Foundation.
This program will conduct a thorough market analysis and assessment of piezoelectric-nanocomposite elastomer materials that enable customized design, injection molding or additive manufacturing and ease of deployment of a new class of flexible and 3D conformal ultrasonic transducer arrays. Due to the use of lightweight, low-cost, and piezoelectric composites, enhanced piezoelectric coupling efficiency, improved signal to noise ratio, and tailored frequency responses can be readily achieved for non-destructive structural health monitoring, wearable and point-of-care health diagnosis, and so on.
RF Nanomaterials and Transducers Fund
Principal Investigator: J. Wang
Granting Agency: USF Research Foundation, Inc.
The objective is to support research in RF functional nanomaterials and transducers technologies with initial focus towards development of novel soft magnetic nanomaterials for radio frequency and microwave devices such as near field communication (NFC), near-field and far-field wireless power transfer.
Nonlinear Modeling for Improved Power Amplifier Design
Principal Investigator: J. Wang
Granting Agency: Modelithics, Inc. and Florida High Tech Corridor
Research and training grant for development of active electrothermal modeling and characterization techniques for nonlinear transistors, as well as modeling and characterization techniques for passive components.
Solar-Cell-Microarray-Powered Ultra-High-Q Ultra-High-Frequency (UHF) Nanoprecision Resonator with SWNT as a Platform for Multi-Agent Sensing
Principal Investigator: J. Wang
Granting Agency:
Development of a solar-powered microarray of ultra-high-sensitive resonant mass sensors with distinctive binding sites for targeted species as a portable platform for identification of biological/chemical molecular assays.
CAREER: Microfluidically Loaded Highly Reconfigurable Compact RF Devices
Principal Investigator: G. Mumcu
Granting Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
This CAREER effort investigates the novel interdisciplinary concept of microfluidically loaded reconfigurability within the context of RF antennas, filters, and imaging systems. The project proposes unique RF device and imaging array implementations that provide unprecedented reconfigurability, high power handling capability, lower circuit complexity and cost-reductions as compared to the existing technologies.
EAGER: Reconfigurable Textile Antennas and RF Electronics Using Microfluidic Techniques
Principal Investigator: G. Mumcu
Granting Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
This project focuses on a novel direction for efficient spectrum utilization of body worn RF front-ends by integration of highly functional textile antennas with microfluidics for reconfiguration.
Remote Environmental Monitoring and Diagnostics in the Perishable Supply Chain
Principal Investigator: C. Nunes, Co-P.I. I. Uysal
Granting Agency: US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center
Using RFID sensor technology to monitor freshness of army rations and develop smart distribution systems. This is a joint project with University of Florida.
Testing and Calibration of RF Temperature Sensors
Principal Investigator: I. Uysal
Granting Agency: RFID Innovative Solutions LLC. Testing and calibration of ISO18000-7
Temperature Sensors developed by RFID IS LLC.
Reducing Strawberry Waste and Losses in the Postharvest Supply Chain via Intelligent Distribution Management
Principal Investigator: I. Uysal, Co-P.I. C. Nunes
Granting Agency: Walmart Foundation
Temperature mapping of the cold chain with wireless sensors to enable smart distribution practices
Increasing Consumption of Specialty Crops by Enhancing their Quality and Safety
Principal Investigator: C. Nunes, Co-P.I. I. Uysal
Granting Agency: US Department of Agriculture
Algorithmic modeling of the effects of environmental variables like temperature and humidity on specialty crops.
Calibration and Validation of DeltaTrak’s Product Emulation Model
Principal Investigator: I. Uysal
Granting Agency: DeltaTrak Inc.
Testing a product temperature emulation model developed by DeltaTrak to predict product temperatures by measuring ambient temperatures. This is a joint project with University of Florida.