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Internship School 2008

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Welcome to the 2008 TEC Centre Internship School

The first year of the TEC Centre Internship Programme was run during the 2006-2007 academic year. There were in total six students involved in the programme (see: here). The commencement of the programme provided a foundation stone to its establishment and created many new ideas toward its enhancement. This year the GAINE (GrAduate INdustry Experience) Internship School will run two large integrated projects where students are exposed to inter-disciplinary research and are expected to participate as members of a team to achieve the project objectives.

The main objective of the GAINE'08 Programme is to expand the existing wireless sensor network testbed to include remote sites such as Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) at National University of Ireland, Galway. This is the first step towards establishing a unified national sensor network testbed. The full technical programme description is available here.

Teaching & Learning will constitute an important element of the GAINE'08 programme. This year around 10 project specific and more general courses will be delivered over 10 weeks. The courses will focus on providing overview of concepts and technologies encompassing the active research areas of the Department including wireless sensor networks, augmented materials, MEMS and advanced control. The provisional course programme provides the latest information on the available courses.

Important Links:





Technical Programme Overview

In the Centre of Adaptive Wireless Systems (C-AWS) work is ongoing on the creation of a wireless sensor network test bed infrastructure. This work was in part a direct result of its participation in the WiSen EmNets project as well as through the FP6 CRUISE Network of Excellence - both of which funded its development. Through CRUISE, CIT has worked in collaboration with the DIKU at the University of Copenhagen to develop the Re-Mote test bed framework (http://code.google.com/p/remote-testbed/). Within CIT this test bed framework and corresponding architecture has provided the facility to test and validate networking protocols, as well as scalability and internetworking trials within the EmNetS team and the sensor network research community at a National level.

In order to allow for the expansion of the test bed there are two options available. The first of these options would be to centrally expand the test bed infrastructure by deploying additional nodes within CIT. However all other office spaces dedicated to research are distributed across the institute outside of the secure area of the TEC Centre, and hence expansion beyond their lab spaces is not feasible. The second option is to create Irelands Test Bed Infrastructure between various institutes and universities. The benefits of this approach is that the test bed expansion can be facilitated by co-operating academic institutions and can be scaled in a manner that could not be achieved by academic institutes operating by themselves.

In order to create Irelands Test Bed infrastructure, collaboration between the TEC Centre/C-AWS in CIT and DERI in NUIG has being proposed to test its feasibility. To implement its functionality it is intended to use the Re-Mote framework. Technically each academic institution needs to implement their version of the Re-Mote framework and they must deploy the current version of the Mote Control Server within their network.

In order to create a high level abstraction between both academic institutions a new Re-Mote client needs to be developed. This new client is going to be developed using the Google Web Toolkit (GWT). Using GWT to develop the Re-Mote client will allow the client to be accessed as a Web page, removing the need for an executable jar file to be on the users system. Representing the client as a Web page provides the facility to integrate the Google Map API into the client so that users can graphically see CITs and NUIGs test bed (potentially represented in 3D campus format) allowing geographically distributed test beds to be integrated via the Web.  



Technical Courses

Provisional Timetable

Course
Instructor(s)
Date
Time
Wireless Sensor Networks
Dr. Dirk Pesch
Wed, 14th May 2008
10am-1pm
Google-Web Toolkit (GWT)
Dr. Donna Griffin
Thu, 15th May 2008
10am-1pm (Theory), 2pm-4pm (Tutorials)
Programming of the Wireless Sensor Networks
Mr. Rostislav Spinar
Mr. Panneer Muthukumaran
Mon, 19th May 2008
10am-1pm (Theory), 2pm-4pm (Tutorials)
Global Sensor Networks (GSN)
Mr. Antonio Aguilar
Wed, 21st May 2008
10am-1pm (Theory), 2pm-4pm (Tutorials)
Ambient Intelligence & Augmented Materials
Dr. Kieran Delaney
Mon, 26th May 2008
10am-1pm
Indoor Localization Systems Mr. Widyawan Wed, 28th May 2008
10am-1pm
Systems Integration
Dr. John Barrett
Tue, 3rd Jun 2008
10am-1pm
Ultra Wideband Radio and RADAR Technology
Mr. Pawel Rulikowski
Wed, 18th Jun 2008
10am-1pm
Introduction to Micro Systems
Dr. Martin Hill
Mon, 16th Jun 2008
10am-1pm
Constrained Optimal Control
Dr. Marcin Cychowski
Mon, 23rd Jun 2008
10am-1pm



COURSES OVERVIEW


Wireless Sensor Networks

Dr. Dirk Pesch
Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems, CIT

Abstract
The objective of this course is to present a broad overview of concepts, technologies and algorithms encompassing wireless sensor networks with a particular emphasis on CAWS/TEC research activities and successes in this area.


Bio Dirk Pesh

I received a Dipl.-Ing. Degree from Aachen University of Technology, Germany in 1993 and a PhD from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland in 1999, both in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. From 1993 to 1995, I was with Nokia Mobile Phones in Bochum, Germany, and for a while in Camberley, England, working in the area of wireless communication protocol software development and wireless system standardisation. From 1996 to 1999, I was a research fellow in the Mobile Communication Group at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, where I worked on distributed radio resource management concepts and micro-cellular wireless network optimisation.
In 1999, I moved to Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, taking up a position of lecturer in electronic engineering with a special focus on computer and communication engineering. In 200 I co-founder of the Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems with John Barrett and Fergus O’Reilly and am currently leading the centres research activities in the area of analysis, design, and optimisation of wireless networks and protocols, and IP-based mobile services for next generation mobile networks. I have published some 40 scientific papers, I am or have been involved in the organisation of national and international conference, including membership of the steering committee of the Irish Signals and Systems Conference (ISSC), the IT&T Conference, MUCS 2004, and I have been or am on the programme committee of a number of international conferences in the area of wireless networks such as HetNets 2003, IEEE/IFIP MWCN 2004, IEEE ISWCS 2004, IEEE GlobeCom 2005. I am also a senior editor of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society News Magazine and regularly review articles for major international conferences and journals.








Dates:

Wed, 14th May 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download                                           
            

Google-Web Toolkit (GWT)

Dr. Donna Griffin
TEC Centre, CIT

Abstract
The aim of this project module is to equip student with the basics of the Google Web Toolkit (GWT) through a formal taught element. The foundation of the module will present the rationale for the use of GWT which essentially makes it easier to write high performance AJAX applications. GWT moves the development life cycle of Web based applications into the type safe language of Java while retaining the capability to access JavaScript and third party libraries. People interested in attending this course should have a basic understanding of the Java programming language and Web based technologies such as HTML (although not 100% necessary). Following the course participants will have a better understanding on how to program Ajax applications simply, server side developers will have a better understanding on how to implement GWT-RPC and Web designers will have a more comprehensive knowledge of what GWT means to them.

The project module includes the following objectives:
  • Basic overview of GWT architecture, functionality and limitations
  • Provide the know how to setting up a project using GWT and the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
  • Working with Widgets
  • Installing a new module
  • Handling events
  • Building JavaScript Native Interface
  • Web services and GWT
An active based learning approach is adopted within this module by presenting the theory and practice of GWT in a coherent fashion.

Bio Donna Griffin
Donna Griffin graduated with a BSc. in Software Development and Computer Networking and a Masters in Engineering (by research) from Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), Ireland in 2002 and 2004 respectively. In 2007 she completed her PhD in the area of telecommunications with an emphasis on service provisioning for Next Generation mobile networks. At present she is a Post Doctorate researcher in the Technologies for Embedded Computing Centre (TEC-Centre) in Cork Institute of Technology. Her current position is a mixture of applied and fundamental research activities, with her fundamental research interests lying in the area of middleware and model driven engineering techniques with a special emphasis on wireless sensor network management.








Dates:

Thu, 15th May 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm
2pm - 4pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download

Programming of the Wireless Sensor Networks

Mr. Rostislav Spinar & Mr. Panneer Muthukumaran
Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems, CIT

Abstract
This session focuses on embedded systems and wireless sensor networks. The objective is to give an overall introduction to embedded systems and programming tools, various hardware and TinyOS. This course includes a theoretical overview and practical experiments. This course will enable the student to start programming with the TinyOS on both Telos and Micaz hardware platform. Also it assumes the student has sufficient knowledge in programming in C or C++ language in a PC.

Bio Rostislav Spinar
Rosta Spinar graduated with a Masters in Engineering (MEng) in the field of Measurement and Instrumentation from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague in 2004. Upon completion of his MEng degree he has being pursuing a PhD degree in the field of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in the Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems (C-AWS) at Cork Institute of Technology, Ireland. In parallel with his research studies he is also working as a Research Engineer in C-AWS where he is currently responsible for the deployment and development of the C-AWS WSN test bed and is also involved in the design activities for a protocol stack for WSN. Apart from these activities, he is also involved in the development of a Wi-Fi tag for localization purposes.

Bio Panneer Muthukumaran
I graduated Bachelor of engineering in computer science and engineering from Madurai Kamaraj University, India. I worked for iWave Systems Technologies Private Limited, Bangalore, India, as senior software engineer in developing embedded systems and networking protocols software till 2004. Then I worked for MiSPO Co. Ltd, Kawasaki, Japan as an Engineer. I was involved in developing networking protocol stacks and device drivers for NORTi, a Real Time Operating System. At present I am doing my Masters of Engineering (Research) in Electronics. My research area is in developing protocol stack for wireless sensor networks. Besides this I also involved in working with TEC-Centre for some wireless projects.








Dates:

Mon, 19th May 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm
2pm - 4pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download (Part I)
Download (Part II)

Global Sensor Networks (GSN)

Mr. Antonio Aguilar
Digital Enterprise Research Institute, NUIG

Abstract
The availability of cheap and smart wireless sensing devices provides unprecedented possibilities to monitor the physical world. On the technical side these devices introduce several original research problems, many of them related to the integration of the rampant technology proposals. Global Sensor Network (GSN) is a middleware platform which provides a scalable infrastructure for integrating heterogeneous sensor network technologies using a small set of powerful abstractions. GSN supports the integration and discovery of sensor networks and sensor data, provides distributed querying, fltering, and combination of sensor data, and supports the dynamic adaption of the system confguration during operation through a declarative XML-based language. The objective of this session is to present an overview of GSN with a particular emphasis on how to develop applications with it.

Bio Antonio Aguilar
I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Ireland in 2003 and a master's in Microelectronics with specialisation in System-on-Chip Design from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden in 2005. I worked as a research assistant at the department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering at the University College Hospital Galway developing RFID and wireless systems for tracking and monitoring patients. Before that, I worked 3 years as a software engineer developing embedded systems at Silicon in Software System (S3), Galway, Ireland. I am currently pursuing a Ph.D at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) and a part-time lecturer in medical informatics at the Department of Medical Education and Medical Informatics at the National University of Ireland, Galway. I am a member of the Semantic Reality Research Group at DERI and an active developer of GSN. My research interests are in the application of semantic web technologies and the deployment of large-scale infrastructures to support wireless sensor network applications.








Dates:

Wed, 21st May 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm
2pm - 4pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download

Indoor Localization Systems

Mr. Widyawan
Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems, CIT

Abstract
The goal of this course is to present an overview of techniques, concepts and algorithms for indoor localisation, navigation and tracing of people and asset with wireless LAN, wireless sensor networks and inertial sensors.The course includes practical demonstrations and experiments with systems and techniques developed and implemented at CAWS.

Bio Widyawan
Mr. Widyawan received his bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering, Gadjah Mada University Indonesia. He received his MSc degree in Medical Informatics from Erasmus University, the Netherland. In April 2005, he joined the Adaptive Wireless Systems Group in the Department of Electronic Engineering at Cork Institute of Technology, to commence PhD research project in the area of Indoor Localization. The research objective is to investigate RF-based indoor localization based on WLAN and Wireless Sensor Network. He is currently working in data fusion and self-calibration localization algorithm.








Dates:

Wed, 28th May 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download

Ambient Intelligence and Augmented Materials

Dr. Kieran Delaney
TEC Centre, CIT

Abstract
Part 1: Ambient Intelligence
The future of information technology systems will be driven by the vision of Ambient Intelligence. In this vision, Ambient Intelligence will surround us with proactive interfaces supported by computing and networking technology platforms that are everywhere; for instance, its systems would be embedded into everyday objects such as furniture, clothes, vehicles, roads and even in decorative materials like paint, wallpaper, etc. They would be unobtrusive, often invisible. They will provide a seamless environment of computing, advanced networking technology and specific interfaces. The systems will be aware of the specific characteristics of human presence and personalities, and will take care of needs. It will be capable of responding intelligently to spoken or gestured indications of desire, and could engage in intelligent dialogue. Interacting with ambient intelligence would be relaxing and enjoyable for the citizen, and not involve steep learning curves. Developing such systems requires a convergence of technology innovation at all levels; this extends from sensors through hardware and software to intuitive user interfaces. The scope of this is such that the entire focus of pan-European information systems technology research will focus upon its development in the next 10-year period. This presentation will cover the definition and history of Ambient Intelligence, currently active programs, the multidisciplinary approach, and guidelines for future research and development. In addition, we will address applications issues, including requirements and challenges for the research community.

Part 2: Augmented Materials
The goal of pervasive computing systems and ambient intelligence (AmI) provides a driver to technology development that is likely to result in a vast integration of information systems into everyday objects. The current techniques for implementing such integration processes view the development of the system and object elements as very much separate; there is a significant inference load placed upon the systems to accommodate and augment the established affordances of the target object(s). This does not conflict with the ultimate vision of AmI, but it does limit the ability of systems platforms to migrate quickly and effectively across numerous varieties of object (in effect, creating a bespoke technology solution for a particular object). To begin the process of addressing this challenge, this presentation describes the proposed development of augmented materials. These are materials with fully embedded distributed information systems, designed to measure all relevant properties, and provide a full knowledge representation of the material; in effect, the material would “know” itself, and its current status. The basic premise is not new; many systems techniques have proposed and implemented versions of this idea. Advances in materials technology, system miniaturisation, and context-aware software have been harnessed to begin to prove the possibility of integrating systems directly into the fabric of artefacts (e.g. smart paper, etc). Where augmented materials would differ from current approaches is in its focus on integrating networks of element into materials and employing the actual material and object fabrication processes to programme them.

Bio Kieran Delaney
Kieran Delaney received B.E. (Elec.) and PhD. degrees from University College Cork, Ireland in 1992 and 1997, respectively. In his doctoral work, he developed characterisation techniques and predictive models for Integral Capacitors and Resistors in ceramic substrates. He joined the NMRC in 1996 as a Research Scientist, where his responsibilities included evaluating novel interconnection technologies. During an eight-year career at NMRC, Dr. Delaney founded the Ambient Electronics Systems (AES) Team, and acquired 3.5 million euro in funding; this includes eight European projects and four large nationally funded projects. He used this funding to build the team to 20 researchers and postgraduates. The team’s core activity is developing distributed wireless sensor network toolkits as a solution to providing hardware platforms for ambient intelligence (AmI). He has managed many National and European project collaborations; these projects ranged from evaluating novel high density interconnect materials, through the development of miniaturised wireless systems, to demonstration of novel distributed sensor systems. To date, he has participated on a number of Programme Committees, including the ACM International Conference on Computing Frontiers (CF’05), and the IEEE Conference on Pervasive Computing (Percom 2004). He has recently taken up an appointment as Research Co-ordinator for the Department of Electronic Engineering in Cork Institute of Technology (CIT). His responsibilities include co-ordinating the development of strategic research within the Department, in particular as it relates to the implementation of novel research directions in the areas of ambient intelligence, distributed wireless sensor networks, innovative control systems, distributed robotics, and autonomic systems research.








Dates:

Mon, 26th May 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download (Part I)
Download (Part II)

Systems Integration

Dr. John Barrett
Smart Systems Integration Group (SSIG), CIT

Abstract
A modern integrated circuit is the most technologically advanced and most complicated product ever manufactured. Yet, it is absolutely useless. It is useless because it breaks easily and can be destroyed by exposure to the environment or human contact and therefore must be given very tough protection from the outside world. It is useless because it cannot do anything useful at all unless someone connects power to it and, even when power is connected to it, it cannot communicate to the outside world without lots of other electrical components and lots and lots of wires connected to it. Even after all that, many integrated circuits are so inefficient that they would melt themselves unless we kept them from overheating with very complicated cooling systems!

This short course will examine what has to be done with an integrated circuit after it emerges from the factory and will, in particular, address packaging, interconnection, circuit boards and cooling. Playstation 3 will be used as an example electronic system.

Bio John Barrett
Dr. John Barrett is a lecturer in the Electronic Engineering Department at Cork Institute of Technology, where his research interests lie in electronic systems miniaturisation, particularly wireless systems. Until 1999, he was Assistant Director of the Irish National Microelectronics Research Centre, with particular responsibility for the Systems Integration Group, which comprised 30 researchers working on the design and performance evaluation of component and systems packaging and interconnection. In 1999, he moved to Cork Institute of Technology as a lecturer in electronics. He was a co-founder of the Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems and leads the research activity in wireless device miniaturisation and ultra wideband (UWB) technology. He has made over 90 publications and presentations in topics related to his field. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE.








Dates:

Tue, 3rd June 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download

Ultra Wideband Radio and RADAR Technology

Mr. Pawel Rulikowski
Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems, CIT

Abstract
Ultra Wideband (UWB) communication is a radio technique that beginnings can be traced back to a dawn of human intended radio emissions. The technology has been neglected over the years because of lack of full understanding governing phenomena and technical capabilities. UWB drawn huge attention of international scientific and industry community relatively recently that resulted in explosion of the publications and real applications. This tutorial will try to familiarize audience with the basics of this new, exciting technology. Theoretical aspects will be illustrated with practical examples together with hands on experience of true UWB systems for communication and RADAR applications.

Bio Pawel Rulikowski
Pawel Rulikowski received his B.Sc. Degree in Maritime Radioelectronics from Gdynia Maritime University, Poland in 2002 in the area of a microwave hardware design. In October 2002, he joined the Adaptive Wireless Systems Group in the Department of Electronic Engineering at Cork Institute of Technology, to commence PhD research project in the area of Ultra-Wideband communication for sensor networks. The objective of this research is to investigate hardware aspects of the application of the UWB technology in the distributed sensor networks with especially with emphasis toward low power consuming UWB transceiver for low data rate applications. He is currently working as research assistant in Centre of Adaptive Wireless Systems where he is involved in UWB hardware design.








Dates:

Wed, 18th June 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:

Download (Notes)
Download (movie)

Introduction to Microsystems

Dr. Martin Hill
Centre for Adaptive Wireless Systems, CIT

Abstract
The course will cover the following topics:
  • Introduction to Microsystems

Description of the design, fabrication and application of microsystems. The current and emerging business markets for microsystem technology

  • Component Specification and Design

Selection and specification of suitable components and technologies for real-world applications. Layout of ICs and MEMS components.

  • Fabrication

IC fabrication processes and industry. Bulk and surface micromachined microsystems fabrication options.

  • Modeling and Design

Electrical, thermal and mechanical modeling and design of microtechnology components and sensors. Combined sensor and interface modeling.

  • Microsystem Integration

Packaging and interconnect of Microsystems components. Application driven package requirements.

  • Case Studies

Case studies in communication systems, mechanical, biomedical, structural and bio-engineering.


Bio Martin Hill
Martin Hill received a B.E. in electrical engineering from University College Cork in 1987 and an M.Eng.Sc in photovoltaics from the National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC) in University College Cork in 1989. He has held a number of posts in private and public research organisations and was Senior Research Scientist in NMRC, leading MEMS research, prior to taking a lecturing post in Cork Institute of Technology in 2002. He was awarded his Ph.D. for a thesis on “Micromachined CMOS compatible tunable capacitors” in June 2007. He has published over 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. He serves on the steering committee of the Micromechanics Europe workshop series and is a regular reviewer with the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. His research interests are in the field of MEMS device design and the integration of MEMS in real-world applications.








Dates:

Mon, 16th June 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:


Constrained Optimal Control

Dr. Marcin Cychowski
TEC Centre, CIT

Abstract
Constraints are present in every practical control application or system due to the inherent resource limitations, operational or safety concerns as well as limits arising from various economic objectives. An automated vehicle, for example, may need to be moved from one position to another as fast as possible while avoiding certain collision courses. On the other hand, it may be desired to maximise the output of some chemical process while keeping reactor temperatures or pressures below their critical level. The objective of this course is to introduce the general framework of optimal control of linear constrained systems. In particular, we discuss model predictive control (MPC), a control strategy that was originally developed to meet the demanding control specifications of power plants and petroleum refineries. Nowadays, MPC can now be found in a wide variety of application areas including chemicals, food processing, metallurgy, pulp and paper, automotive and aerospace. The widespread acceptance of the MPC paradigm in industry is primarily due to the ease with which system constraints can be explicitly incorporated into the control problem formulation enabling the development of “tactical” controllers which are aware of the inherent system limitations.

Bio Marcin Cychowski
Marcin Cychowski received his honours MSc degree in Electrical Engineering from Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland, and a PhD degree in Electronic Engineering from Cork Institute of Technology in 2001 and 2006, respectively. He is the author and co-author of about 10 journal and conference publications in the field of optimal control of constrained uncertain systems and high-performance motion control systems. Marcin Cychowski is and has been serving as a reviewer for International Journal of Control and IEE Proceedings Control Theory and Applications. He is a member of IEEE, IET and an honorary member of International Society for Advanced Research (InternationalSAR). His current research interests include model predictive and optimal control, control issues in MEMS devices and numerical optimization.






Dates:

Mon, 23rd June 2008

Time:

10am - 1pm

Location:

B283

Course Notes:


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