E-Lectures

Abstract: Cognitive radio is a rapidly evolving technology to optimize and exploit spectrum via radios that can dynamically adapt their transmission parameters. Research on cognitive radio is important due to the increasing demand for use of the radio spectrum. This talk will provide an overview of cognitive radio technology, motivation for its development, and key concepts. The talk will also discuss the challenges associated with cognitive radio, such as spectrum sensing, dynamic spectrum access, and interference management, and present some recent advances and research efforts in addressing these challenges. The talk will conclude with several applications of cognitive radio that the speaker has been associated with..

Sven G. Bilen, Ph.D., P.E. is Professor of Engineering Design, Electrical Engineering, and Aerospace Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. He directs the Systems Design Lab and the Space Propulsion Lab, and is the founding director of the Certificate in Space Systems Engineering and the Student Space Programs Lab. Prof. Bilén’s research interests include the areas of space systems design; electrodynamic-tethers; spacecraft-plasma interactions; plasma diagnostics for space plasmas, plasma electric thrusters, and semiconductor plasma processing; cognitive and software-defined radio techniques and systems; wireless sensor systems; 3D concrete printing; innovative engineering design, systems design and new product design; engineering entrepreneurship; and global and virtual engineering design. He has over three decades of experience designing, building, and fielding innovative systems for harsh and demanding environments---from space to the Arctic. He employs a systems design approach to ensure mission success, translating early-stage needs into verified requirements and validated deployed systems. He has a strong interest in seeing technologies he has worked on and advanced within a university research environment to get ``into the wild.'' He is senior member of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; associate fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; and member of American Geophysical Union, American Association for Engineering Education, International Council on Systems Engineering, and Sigma Xi.

Abstract: Use of bio-inspired computational techniques and artificial intelligence (AI) in advanced engineering applications has recently proliferated to transcend traditional systems performance beyond the logical next step. Inspired by the biological evolution process of natural selection and enabled by AI, these techniques leapfrog beyond regular design methodologies to deliver novel cutting-edge solutions.

In this lecture, I will describe the significant efforts made by my research group over the past 15 years, highlighting two main areas: (i) our use of genetic programming to design innovative, non-intuitive, and high-performance metamaterials that surpass human designs in diverse applications, and (ii) our applications of machine learning and potentially generative AI to develop "virtual clinical trials" that efficiently and safely calibrate and validate a novel chest patch RF device for monitoring vital signs and assess lung water content.

I will showcase actual examples and delve into validation approaches grounded on fundamental electromagnetic concepts, such as Prony's method for natural frequencies and equivalent circuit models. Concluding the lecture, I will outline how these innovations extend to other areas of electromagnetics, such as radio frequency (RF) propagation modeling in diverse terrains and intelligent integration of renewable energy in smart grids using reinforcement learning. Magdy F. Iskander Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of

Magdy F. Iskander Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Hawaii Advanced Wireless Technologies Institute (HAWT Institute), College of Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii. Prior to joining the University of Hawaii in 2002, he was an Engineering Clinic chair Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah. From 1997-99 he was a Program Director at the National Science Foundation, where he formulated a "Wireless Information Technology" Initiative in the Engineering Directorate. He edited two special issues of the IEEE Transaction on "Antennas and Propagation on Wireless Communications Technologies," 2002 and 2006, co-edited a special issue of IEICE journal in Japan in 2004, edited a special issue of the Applied Computational Electromagnetic Society Journal in 1993, and edited two special issues of the Journal of Microwave Power, 1983. He was the 2002 President of IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, Distinguished Lecturer for IEEE AP-S (1994-97), Fellow of IEEE (1993), Life Fellow of IEEE, and Fellow of the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society.

He authored the textbook Electromagnetic Fields and Waves, Prentice Hall, 1992; and Waveland Press, 2001; second edition 2012, edited the CAEME Software Books, Vol. I, II 1991-94; and edited four books on Microwave Processing of Materials, published by the Materials Research Society, 1990-96. He has published over 250 papers in technical journals and book chapters, has 11 patents, and made numerous presentations in national and international conferences. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Computer Applications in Engineering Education (CAE) journal, published by John Wiley (1992-present). He organized and was the general chair of 9 IEEE conferences both in Utah (2) and Hawaii (7).

Much of Dr. Iskander's research is funded by the National Science Foundation, US Army CERDEC, and Office of Naval Research and several corporate sponsors. He has received many teaching excellence and research awards including the 2012 University of Hawaii Board of Regent Medal for Excellence in Research and the 2010 Board of Regents' Medal for Teaching Excellence. In 2012 he received the IEEE AP-S Chen-To Tai Distinguished Educator Award, and the 2013 IEEE MTT-S Distinguished Educator Award. He also received the 2010 Northrop Grumman Excellence in Teaching Award, 2011, 2014, and 2021 Hi Chang Chai Outstanding Teaching Award, and the University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000. In 1985, he received the ASEE Curtis W. McGraw National Research Award, and in 1991 the ASEE George Westinghouse National Education Award. 1992 he also received the Richard R. Stoddard Award from the IEEE EMC Society. He was a member of the 1999 WTEC panel on "Wireless Information Technology-Europe and Japan", and chaired two International Technology Panels on "Asian Telecommunication Technology" sponsored by NSF/DoD in 2001 and 2003.