Wireless Sensing for Ubiquitous Internet of Things

Zoom link for remote participants, passcode:  728938

Abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to revolutionize the physical world and transform industries, such as smart offices/factories, pervasive health, intelligent transportation, etc. To fulfill this promise, IoT requires a fundamental mechanism to perceive the environment while maintaining robust connectivity. My vision is to leverage pervasive wireless signals to serve for intelligent sensing and communication simultaneously. The key challenge lies in a conflict between low-resolution wireless sensors and the complex physical environment. In this talk, I will present model-driven system designs that push the limits of wireless sensing for
networking and intelligent perception. Specifically, I will discuss three major research topics: (1) “Smarter” environments that use passive intelligent surfaces for wireless sensing and network coverage expansion. (2) “Smarter” things that use millimeter-wave backscatter tags to enable joint IoT sensing and communication. (3) “Smarter” wireless sensors that break their physical resolution limits to perceive the environment at near-vision precision. Finally, I will conclude by discussing emerging models and applications that unleash the full potential of wireless sensing and ultimately achieve the vision of ubiquitous intelligence and connectivity.

Bio: Kun Qian is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California San Diego. He received his B.E. and Ph.D. degrees from the School of Software at Tsinghua University with the highest distinction. His research focuses on wireless sensing and networking with applications in automotive perception, smart health, and human-mobile interaction. His work regularly appears in top-tier conferences and journals that span the areas of mobile computing, wireless networking, HCI, and computer vision.  Some of his research outcomes, such as 3D printed passive intelligent surfaces, have attracted attention from the wireless industry and are going through the commercialization process. For additional information, please visit: https://kunqian.info/.