Center for Networking of Infrastructure Sensors    
Home  |  About Us  |  People  |  Sensor Networking  |  Active Research Grants  |  Publications  |  Testbed 

ABSTRACTS

  • Tzung-Hsien Ho, John Rzasa, Stuart D. Milner, and Christopher C. Davis,
    Robust Optical Alignment Systems Using Geometric Invariants
    SPIE Optical and Photonics, 2007

Traditional coarse pointing, acquisition, and tracking (CPAT) systems are pre-calibrated to have the center pixel
of the camera aligned to the laser pointing vector and the center pixel is manually moved to the target of interest
to complete the alignment process. Such a system has previously demonstrated its capability in aligning with
distant targets and the pointing accuracy is on the order of sensor resolution. However, aligning with targets at
medium range where the distance between angular sensor and transceiver is not negligible is its Achilles Heel.
This limitation can be resolved by imposing constraints, such as the trifocal tensor (TT), which is deduced from
the geometrical dependence between cameras and transceivers.
Two autonomous CPAT systems are introduced for FSO transceiver alignment in mid- and long-range sce-
narios. This work focuses on experimental results that validate the pointing performance for targets at di®erent
distances, backed up by the theoretical derivations. A mid-range CPAT system, applying a trifocal tensor as its
geometric invariant, includes two perspective cameras as sensors to perceive target distances. The long-range
CPAT system, applying linear mapping as the invariant, requires only one camera to determine the pointing
angle. Calibration procedures for both systems are robust to measurement noise and the resulting system can
autonomously point to a target of interest with a high accuracy, which is also on the order of sensor resolution.
The results of this work are not only bene¯cial to the design of CPAT systems for FSO transceiver alignment,
but also in new applications such as surveillance and navigation.

  • Eswaran Baskaran, Jaime Llorca, Stuart D. Milner, Christopher C. Davis(
    Topology Reconfiguration of FSO/RF Directional Wireless Networks with Successive Approximations
    SPIE Optical and Photonics, 2007.

Recent developments in pointing, acquisition, and tracking have enabled the formation of point-to-point FSO or narrow beam directional wireless networks that are capable of dynamic changes in their topology. Autonomous changes to topology in response to varying available link capacities and load demands of various nodes is called topology control. Topology control consists of computing new topologies to dynamically optimize the network under changing traffic conditions, and then carrying out the reconfiguration process to achieve the target topology. Our current work in this area studies the process of topology reconfiguration by using the packet drops that happen during this process as a cost metric. It is shown that the reconfiguration cost can be minimized when the target topology is reached by implementing the topology reconfiguration as a series of smaller steps (successive approximations). It is also shown that a topology computation algorithm that results in lower overall packet drops can be obtained by including the reconfiguration cost in the objective function along with the typical objective of congestion minimization. Simulations are used to evaluate and compare the performance of topology computation heuristics when the objective function includes reconfiguration cost.

  • Jaime Llorca, Stuart D. Milner and Christopher C. Davis,
    A Force-Driven Mobility Control Algorithm for Joint Coverage-Connectivity Optimization in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks
    SPIE Optical and Photonics, 2007

Next generation wireless networks are increasingly complex in terms of their heterogeneity (terminal, edge and backbone nodes; directional and omnidirectional wireless links) and dynamic behavior (node mobility, atmospheric obscuration, fading). Modeling such complex systems is becoming a very challenging and cumbersome mathematical problem. This paper proposes a novel physics-based approach to the modeling, characterization and control of complex wireless networks. Heterogeneous wireless networks are modeled as physical systems where nodes are represented as particles and communication links as attraction forces between them. Forces are defined based on network connectivity and include the effects of link distance, link directivity and atmospheric obscuration. The network energy usage is used as a cost function that is shown to be related to the potential energy of the analogous physical system. We formulate the joint coverage-connectivity optimization problem in backbone-based wireless networks as an energy minimization problem and present a mobility control algorithm that mimics the natural reaction of a physical system to minimize potential energy driven by local forces exerted on network nodes. Our mobility control algorithm is shown to be completely distributed, scalable and self-organized. Initial results show the efficiency of our mobility control approach to autonomously adjust the position of controlled backbone nodes in order to optimize coverage and connectivity in dynamic scenarios.

  • Juan Carlos Franco, John Rzasa, Stuart D. Milner, Christopher C. Davis,
    Transmission of High Definition Imagery Using Hybrid FSO/RF Links for Real-Time Surveillance, Event Detection, and Follow-Up
    SPIE Optical and Photonics, 2007

High definition (HD) quality imagery provides clearer and more detailed information for use in advanced video surveillance systems. The deployment of such surveillance systems where no fixed communications infrastructure exists presents an ideal application for high data rate directional FSO/RF links and networks. Next generation surveillance systems using HD imagery will be able to detect and analyze objects in detail and at large distances. Such flexibly deployable surveillance systems will be very valuable for military and homeland security surveillance. Nevertheless, designing these types of systems is not an easy task. First, HD images require large amounts of bandwidth: compressed high definition television (HDTV 1080i) images require bit rates of approximately 20Mb/s, which rise to above 1Gb/s for uncompressed images at 30 frames/s, and an increase in the number of cameras in one single system can saturate the available bandwidth. Second, advanced surveillance requires significant computational power for real-time object detection, tracking, and discrimination. This paper analyzes these issues and proposes a solution with on demand video compression and real-time object detection algorithms. A system architecture of a HD scalable system with the ability to track and discriminate objects and events within the system’s deployed area will be described. Practical examples of autonomous event detection in wirelessly transmitted HDTV images will be given.

  • Yohan Shim, Stuart D. Milner, Christopher C. Davis,
    A precise pointing technique for free space optical links and networks
    SPIE Optical and Photonics, 2007

In free space optical (FSO) communication networks, pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) techniques are needed to establish and maintain optical links among the static or mobile nodes in the network. First, this paper describes a precise pointing technique to steer the local directional laser beam of an optical transceiver to a target optical transceiver at a remote transceiver node. The pointing technique utilizes Real-Time Kinematic GPS coordinates, local angular sensors, and a reference baseline, to retrieve accurate navigation information (roll, pitch, yaw) of the mobile or static platform that carries an optical transceiver. Through experiments using gimbal pointing stages, we have demonstrated “dead-reckoning” pointing accuracy in the milliradian range in our outdoor testbed. Second, we provide an application example of the pointing method in a bi-connected ring network, in which the pointing technique is combined with heuristic algorithms for dynamic reconfiguration of ring network topology. The heuristic algorithms achieve near optimal solutions in a short amount of time. Lastly, we present a GPS-based autonomous reconfiguration scenario for mobile nodes, which combines the PAT technique and heuristic algorithms.

  • Jaime Llorca, Stuart D. Milner, Christopher C. Davis,
    Mobility Control For Joint Coverage-Connectivity Optimization In Directional Wireless Backbone Networks
    Proc. IEEE MILCOM 2007
  • Quirino Balzano, John Rzasa, Stuart Milner, Christopher Davis,
    High Capacity Tactical Networks With Reconfigerable, Steerable, Narrow-Beam Agile Point-To-Point RF Links
    , Proc.IEEE MILCOM 2007
  • Eswaran Baskaran, Jaime Llorca, Stuart D. Milner, Christopher C. Davis,
    Topology Reconfiguration With Successive Approximations
    Proc.IEEE MILCOM 2007
  • Yohan Shim, Stuart D. Milner, Christopher C. Davis,
    A Precise Pointing Technique For Free Space Optical Networking
    Proc.IEEE MILCOM 2007
  • T.H. Ho, S. Trisno, A. Desai, J. Llorca, S.D. Milner, and C.C. Davis,
    Performance and Analysis of Reconfigurable Hybrid FSO/RF Wireless Networks
    SPIE International Symposium, Photonics West 2005.

  • T.H. Ho, S.D. Milner, and C.C. Davis,
    Fully Optical Real-time Pointing, Acquisition and Tracking System for Free Space Optical Link
    SPIE International Symposium, Photonics West 2005.
  • Stuart D. Milner and Christopher C. Davis.
    Hybrid Free Space Optical/RF Networks for Tactical Operations.
    Proc. IEEE MILCOM, November, 2004.
  • Jifang Zhuang, Michael J. Casey, Stuart D. Milner, Steven A. Gabriel, and Gregory Baecher.
    Multi-Objective Optimization Techniques In Topology Control Of Free Space Optical Networks.
    Proc. IEEE MILCOM, November, 2004.
  • Jaime Llorca, Aniket Desai And Stuart Milner.
    Obscuration Minimization In Dynamic Free Space Optical Networks Through Topology Control.
    Proc. IEEE MILCOM, November, 2004.
  • Sugianto Trisno, Tzung-Hsien Ho, Stuart D. Milner, and Christopher C. Davis.
    Theoretical and Experimental Characterization of Omnidirectional Optical Links for Free Space Optical Communications.
    Proc. IEEE MILCOM, November, 2004.
  • Aniket Desai, Jaime Llorca and Stuart Milner.
    Autonomous Reconfiguration Of Backbones In Free Space Optical Networks.
    Proc. IEEE MILCOM, November, 2004.
  • "Scalibility of Mobile, Base-Station-Oriented RF Networks"
    Thakkar, Sohil; Chandrashekar, Karthikeyan; and Milner, Stuart
    Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, April, 2004,4:305-314. [Abstract]
  • "Reconfigurable Optical Wireless Sensor Networks"
    Llorca, Jaime; Desai A.; Vishkin U.; Davis C.; and Milner, Stuart
    SPIE Conference, Remote Sensing 2003, Barcelona, Spain, September 2003. [Abstract]
  • "Studies of Free Space Optical Links through Simulated Boundary Layer and Long-Path Turbulence"
    Wasiczko L., Smolyaninov, I., Milner S., and Davis, C.
    Paper to be presented at SPIE Conference, Remote Sensing 2003, Barcelona, Spain, September 2003. [Abstract]
  • "Studies of Pointing, Acquisition, and Tracking of Agile Optical Wireless Transceivers for Free Space Optical
    Communication Networks"
    Ho, T., Trisno, S., Smolyaninov, I., Milner,S. , and Davis, C.
    Paper to be presented at SPIE Conference, Remote Sensing 2003, Barcelona, Spain, September 2003. [Abstract]
  • "Performance And Scalability of Wireless Base-Station-Oriented Networks."
    Milner, Sohil Thakkar, K. Chandrashekar, W. Chen
    Invited paper, Mobile Computing and Communications Review, April, 2003. [Abstract]
  • "Flexible Optical High Data Rate Wireless Links And Networks."
    C. Davis, I.I. Smolyaninov, S. D. Milner
    IEEE Communications, March, 2003 [Abstract]

PRESENTATIONS

© Center for Networking of Infrastructure Sensors. All Rights Reserved Contact arbha@glue.umd.edu
This page was last edited Monday, November 23, 2004 11:30:00 PM