蜜桃传媒

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The 蜜桃传媒 is partnering with Florida Atlantic 蜜桃传媒 (FAU) for research and education programs focused on software-defined radio and other next-generation wireless networking systems.

The collaboration will advance these technologies – which are key to economic competitiveness, national security, and other concerns – as well as help meet the growing demand for engineers and computer scientists with skills in wireless communications.

It will also tap the expertise of each university, including UB’s leadership in wireless networking and communications, artificial intelligence and autonomous systems. It will utilize facilities such as UB’s Structure for Outdoor Autonomy Research, which is among the nation’s largest research and testing facilities in higher education for autonomous systems.

“The 蜜桃传媒 possesses the knowledge and resources, including faculty expertise and state-of-the-art facilities, to advance the nation’s wireless networking system capabilities,” says Nicholas Mastronarde, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering. “With our partners, we will fulfill a vital role addressing key technological challenges in this field while also providing outstanding mentorship to the next generation of innovators and leaders."

Mastronarde will serve as UB’s principal investigator and Zhangyu Guan, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, will serve as UB’s co-principal investigator. FAU faculty members Dimitris Pados and George Sklivanitis will serve as FAU principal investigator and FAU co-principal investigator.

The work is supported by a $2.1 million grant from the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, New York. The award was championed by U.S. senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

Like traditional hardware-based radio, software-defined radio allows users to send and receive communications. The main difference between the two is their architecture. Traditional radio relies on specialized hardware to perform signal processing operations such as modulation, demodulation and channel estimation, while software-defined radio uses software. This brings several key advantages. It’s flexible, multi-purpose and easy to upgrade – think software update versus having to buy a new radio. It also allows interoperability between systems.

These attributes are key for modern satellite communications; military and defense systems, including uncrewed aerial vehicles; public safety communications; cellular base stations; and other applications.

The joint UB/FAU program will be built on three pillars aimed at advancing communications in challenging electromagnetic environments. The first focuses on developing advanced algorithms for secure and agile spectrum operations, enabling real-time, autonomous decision-making to optimize spectrum use, avoid interference and maintain uninterrupted communications.

The second pillar centers on creating secure, high-performance hardware solutions, including processors, graphic processing units and field programmable gate array fabrics, which power software-defined radios and networks. These adaptable, programmable technologies ensure resilience across multiple domains, from surface to air, space and underwater.

The third pillar emphasizes workforce development, with a comprehensive approach to education at all levels, from high school to doctoral programs. These pathway programs will ensure the cultivation of a skilled, robust workforce capable of developing and implementing the necessary technologies for future wireless network operations.

“The benefits of software-defined radio and other emerging forms of wireless networking systems are immense,” says Guan. “Being at the forefront of this field ensures economic competitiveness, national security, global influence and broader technological innovation in fields like artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and the Internet of Things.”