CIF:Small:Collaborative Research: Energy-Aware Location Optimization in Emerging Wireless Networks

University Of Illinois At Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented emergence of new applications of wireless networks in different aspects of life. These new applications and their corresponding opportunities have improved the quality of life, provided economic growth, and facilitated the expansion of new businesses. Looking forward, several key defining aspects stand out for emerging wireless networks. These include energy efficiency as a central feature enabling large-scale networks, prolonged network lifetime, and "green" (i.e., environmentally friendly) operation. Networks will also be highly heterogeneous in nature, consisting of nodes with different power, communication, and computational capabilities. Most wireless nodes, in order to fulfill their functions, will be endowed with sensing capabilities, connecting the physical world to the virtual information world. Networks are to remain connected with high reliability so that information from one node may be conveyed to another anywhere, and at any time. The emerging wireless networks are often considered to be multi-tiered, consisting of the nodes, their access points, and possibly higher-tiered gateways, and endowed with mobility. The macro behavior of a wireless network (in terms of its overall sensing capability, energy efficiency, communication reliability, connectivity, and mobility) depends heavily on the micro placement/locations of its constituent nodes. This project explores the problem of energy-efficient node deployment in heterogeneous, multi-tiered, and mobile wireless networks, taking into account connectivity and autonomy. The innovative component exploits quantization theory, a seemingly unlikely candidate that is originally developed for signal compression, as a promising tool to address these challenges. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.