Research

Embedded Systems and the Internet-of-Things

Embedded systems is a rapidly developing area of research which focuses on instrumenting our environment with computing systems to monitor and actuate our environment. With the age of the internet, embedded systems have become interconnected forming the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and systems have become pervasive in all aspects of society enabling precision medicine, efficient transportation and environmental stewardship.  

Profs. David Blaauw, Dennis Sylvester, Hun-Seok Kim and David Wentzloff’s research has focused on ultra-small computing and sensing systems. Their group, with other collaborators, is known for the world smallest computer (0.04 mm³) which is on display at the computing history museum in Mountain View CA. Using these computing systems, they have developed new sensors for studying the extinction of snail species in Tahiti and oil-reservoirs down-hole.

Prof. Robert Dick has research efficient, low-power machine learning for embedded systems, including computer vision applications.

Profs Hun-Seok Kim and David Blaauw are part of multi-disciplinary collaborations to apply mm-scale computing to tracking of Monarch butterflies as they migrate from the northern US and Canada to Mexico, the first realization of programmable matter, brain-machine interfaces and nano-satellites.    

Prof. Alanson Sample’s research focuses on creating interactive embedded systems that sense, understand, and react to the world around them. His interdisciplinary research group looks for physical layer innovations that enable novel sensing mechanisms, new wireless communication techniques, and innovative ways of harvesting energy to create novel embedded systems with applications in the fields of Human-Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing, and the Internet of Things.