REU Site: AWaRE Advanced Wireless Research Experiences at the University of Notre Dame

University Of Notre Dame, Notre Dame IN

Investigators

Abstract

This funding establishes a new Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site at the Notre Dame University. This REU Site will host a diverse group of undergraduate students who will spend their summer working on research on next generation wireless technologies. Wireless communication is already ubiquitous and is moving rapidly towards fifth-generation mobile services to enable a broad range of wireless services which are fundamental to our everyday lives as well as to the development of new technologies. This REU Site provides students with the opportunities to explore the challenges of next-generation wireless networks and to be involved in research that may impact the understanding and uses of the wireless communication spectrum over which wireless signals are transmitted. The research is led by the faculty of the Notre Dame Wireless Institute. Students will receive hands-on experience in the design, implementation, deployment, evaluation, and measurement of wireless technologies and mobile networks using state-of-the-art equipment and systems. The site will provide mentoring and other professional development opportunities that should impact the future academic and professional careers of the students. The site plans to attract talented undergraduate students from across the nation, particularly focusing on recruiting students from groups traditionally under-represented in the computing fields. The pillars of this REU Site involve collaboration between the Notre Dame Wireless Institute, the City of South Bend next-generation advanced wireless research platform, and Notre Dame's membership in the Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Industry-University Cooperative Research Center. The technical focus of the research is on experimental discoveries using facilities, a research environment, and expertise unique to the Wireless Institute. A broad range of wireless research is targeted including millimeter-wave wireless, antennas and circuits, radar signal processing, turbomachinery sensors, full spectrum sensing with low-cost pervasive sensors, drone communications, crowd-source WiFi characterization, Bluetooth low energy ad-hoc networks for emergency responders, and manufacturing floor operational efficiency via wearable wireless devices. The project has the potential to develop new technologies and expand the understanding of the wireless spectrum.