Research
I’m currently a member of Prabal Dutta‘s research group at the University of Michigan. Our goals include exploring the embedded systems that will usher in the Internet of Everyday Things, designing the architecture and systems that will come to define this new class of devices.
These are the projects I’m working on.
Headset-based Phone Peripherals
The mobile headset port is truly a universal interface, common across all phones. I’ve been working to explore development of continuous, long-running sensors, mapping out the possible data and power pathways, and how communication and energy delivery are coupled in this design space. My long term goal is to create a building-block approach for other researchers looking to utilize this interface and present a number of common, working designs, along with the software APIs required to drive them.
ARM-based SoC TinyOS Port
TinyOS is an open-source wireless sensor network operation system designed to provide a common platform for advanced research in mesh-networking including algorithms that cope with lossy routing, low-power, infrequent polling, and multihop communication. I’m currently working on a new TinyOS platform based around a single SoC solution integrating both a 802.15.4 radio and ARM Cortex-M3 processor, to achieve a new form-factor, and lower power consumption.
This platform will be used by the community at large, and in studies to capture interperson interactions.
Aether Platform
Aether is a wireless mote platform based around a square-inch sensor interface. It uses the Epic core and has internal data logging memory, 802.15.4 radio, and trace antenna. It is designed as a testbed for square inch sensors, and as a platform that allows for even more rapid prototyping of compact sensor nodes than the Epic would provide independently. The design supports a coin cell Lithium-Ion battery, and is programmable over the Micro-USB connector on the side of the unit, which also supports charging.
The designs for Aether are evolving still, but are available by request.
