Most Popular Items: Intelligent Infrastructure

HACQIT aims to
1) deliver critical user services for four hours while under active attacks with no more than 25% degradation in user performance;
2) build a working prototype "system" while concentrating resources on new capabilities and minimizing unnecessary duplication;
3) understand the "design space" of intrusion tolerant systems designed for real world use with consumer-off-the-shelf and government-off-the-shelf hardware and software.
A phased approach will be used:
Phase 1:
1) Build a series of demo prototypes and explore "space."

Code-division multiple-access (CDMA) communication system allows multiple users to access the network simultaneously using unique codes. Optical CDMA has the advantage of using optical processing to perform certain network applications, like addressing and routing without resorting to complicated multiplexers or demultiplexers. The asynchronous data transmission can simplify network management and control. Therefore, OCDMA is an attractive candidate for LAN application. Particularly, OCDMA can provide a secure network connection providing dynamic encoding.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have the potential to benefit society in a myriad of ways, such as accelerating scientific research, increasing productivity, and enhancing security. WSNs also pose many fascinating scientific challenges, ranging from device physics to encoding techniques to distributed algorithms. There is a large, diverse, and rapidly increasing network literature in this area. Unfortunately, much of this work has been done in isolation; all too often individual components are crafted and evaluated without an overall vision or a context for deployment.

The principle goal of this research program is to enhance the gas sensors utilized in industrial and indoor air-quality (IAQ) applications. Gas sensors based on optical absorption function by measuring wavelength-dependent absorption by polyatomic, asymmetric molecules. In comparison to other gas detection technologies, IR absorption has the advantages of high sensitivity, low cross-sensitivity, long life, and resistance to contamination.

Task Description:

The networked sensor regime is an exciting new design space that is emerging as a result of innovations in RF Communication technology and MEMS technology. TinyOS explores the software support that is required in that design space. TinyOS is a component-based runtime environment designed to provide support for deeply embedded systems, which require concurrency intensive operations while constrained by minimal hardware resources. For example, originally designed for the Smart Dust hardware platform, our scheduler fits in under 200 bytes of program memory.

We are being called upon to protect our national security interests in progressively more complex and hostile environments. Major threats arise from asymmetric threats such as terrorism, guerilla attack, and other unconventional methods of warfare. The technology challenge for dealing with these asymmetric and extremely rapidly adapting adversaries in the battlefield are many, and of course, the battlefield itself is in a wide variety of terrains, in urban environments and in some cases also the homeland.

We are engaged in designing, implementing, and testing a system that can detect and track humans automatically. Our system will recognize the activities of individuals and patterns of activities within and between groups. This information could be used to provide alerts of potential threats to facilities and personnel.

There has been intensive research focused on the development of an electronic replacement for the ubiquitous UPC barcode. To replace consumer barcodes, ultra-low cost will be paramount. Organic based circuits may enable this due to their low fabrication cost. In this work, the investigators will develop the technologies necessary for RFID barcode replacement systems, and will use these to demonstrate a major subcomponent of any RFID system - the power harvesting subcircuit.

Collaboration and information-sharing are among the most important applications of computing. Privacy is a basic human need.

RESEARCH THRUSTS:
An interdisciplinary approach will be taken and the multi-facetted research of COINS will focus on molecular and nanometer level mechanics at the interface of hard and soft matter. COINS will have five thrusts centering on an "element-to-device-to-system" research strategy:
(I) Key Nanomechanical Building Blocks;
(II) Theoretical Simulation of Nanomechanics;
(III) Mechanical Behavior of Nanostructure Elements;
(IV) Instrumentations for Nanomechanical Measurements;
(V) Nanomechanical System Integration.

A geotechnical centrifuge is used to conduct model tests to study geotechnical problems such as the strength, stiffness and capacity of foundations for bridges and buildings, settlement of embankments, stability of slopes, earth retaining structures, tunnel stability and seawalls. Other applications include explosive cratering, contaminant migration in ground water, frost heave and sea ice. The centrifuge may be useful for scale modeling of any large-scale nonlinear problem for which gravity is a primary force.
Reason for Model Testing on the Centrifuge

We propose an Intelligent Structural Health Monitoring (ISHM) System based on a radical improvement in the accuracy and resolution of displacement (hence strain) measurement, fabricating a wide-band high-fidelity PZT-based sensor of micron size. To accomplish this we propose new methods of growing the conical sensor elements, and unique self-assembly techniques that avoid expensive off-site CMOS wafer fabrication.

Current Research
Fast, automated generation of photo realistic 3D models of city environments for the purpose of simulations and interactive walk-, drive-, or fly-thrus. This goal requires the combination of techniques from various research areas.
Airborne Modeling
Generation of 3D models of rooftops and terrain shape from airborne laser scans and photos.
- Processing airborne laser scans
- Reconstructing surface geometry
- Texture mapping
Ground-Based Modeling
Generation of 3D models of facades and street scenery as seen from street level.
It involves in particular:

We propose a three-year interdisciplinary effort to build on new advances in information technology to develop an adaptive real-time system for active management, processing, modeling and visualization of environmental and geoscience data.

In nanometer scale CMOS technologies, static power consumption will be the major component of the overall power consumption. Static power has been rapidly growing as technologies have scaled supply voltage VDD and threshold voltage Vth down to maintain drive current and reduce dynamic power consumption, at the cost of an exponential increase in transistor leakage currents. Static power can be as much as 20% of the power budget of current high-end microprocessors, and this will likely increase as future technologies continue to reduce Vth.

This research addresses some important components in the theoretical and algorithmic signal processing machinery needed to make low-power, ubiquitous sensor networks a reality. The physical and hardware attributes as well as the computing and communication capabilities of these low-power, low-cost sensors, particularly those based on high-density low-cost MEMS devices, have the potential to revolutionize next-generation information technology.

This task seeks to revolutionize the paradigm of DNA chip by integrating an array of DNA probes on multiple giant magneto-resistance sensor or spin valve sensors using nanomagnetic bead technology and a microfluidic lab-on-a chip for lab automation. This task will demonstrate the advanced hybrid integration science and technology for ultra fast DNA microprocessors with single molecule detection sensitivities.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks exploit the availability of servers and routers, resulting in the severe loss of their connectivity. We present a distributed, automated response model that utilizes a Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller to aid in handling traffic flow management. PID control law has been used in electrical and chemical engineering applications since 1934 and has proven extremely useful in stabilizing relatively unpredictable flows.

TinyDB is a query processing system for extracting information from a network of sensors running TinyOS. Unlike existing solutions for data processing in TinyOS, TinyDB does not require you to write embedded C code for sensors. Instead, TinyDB provides a simple, SQL-like interface to specify the data you want to extract, along with additional parameters, like the rate at which data should be refreshed - much as you would pose queries against a traditional database.

The goal of the micromechanical flying insect (MFI) project is to develop a 25 mm (wingtip-to-wingtip) device capable of sustained autonomous flight. Such a tiny flying robot could be used in wide area (disposable) searching, pollution plume tracking, building monitoring (comfort, security), inspection, "Smart Dust" tagging, survivor search (after a fire, earthquake, or other disaster), and mobile/adaptive sensor/communication networking.

Controlling collections of unmanned or unmanned aerial and ground vehicles so as to accomplish their assigned mission remains a challenging task, with unsolved issues in the treatment of environment uncertainty, rapidly changing conditions, high dimensional state spaces, and information overload from sensor data. Control and sensing in such systems must be distributed in order to allow effective and scalable solutions, yet must be coordinated to attain global objectives.

The BRAND program is a development and demonstration of two network applications that require the capacity and/or low latency of an open testbed communications network such as that provided by the Next Generation Internet (NGI) system program at DARPA. The resulting demonstrations created by this effort (sensor Web and networked MEMS CAD) will demonstrate the benefits of an open research network capability based on an optical transport system and associated high performance/high capacity networks and management systems that are ultimately necessary to enable these new stressing applications.

This proposal describes a three-phase program to deliver silicon carbide (SiC) TAPS sensors for extreme harsh environments that are capable of measuring temperature, acceleration, pressure, and strain under large temperature excursions (600 C), high-g forces (100,000g), and in the presence of corrosive and erosive media (wet steam and/or hydrocarbon engine exhaust). This SiC TAPS sensor system is unique in that SiC semiconductor substrate is integrated with SiC MEMS structures and both of these, in turn, are integrated with SiC encapsulation.

We plan to research the problem of reducing a mobile computer's communication requirements and power consumption. Specifically, they will address both issues through improved data and storage management. Based on prior success with automated data grouping and predictive power conservation, research will be conducted into improved data hoarding and disk power management techniques. With effective grouping of data it will be possible to improve the automation of mobile file hoarding, and decrease the effects of network latency and disconnections on the mobile user.

We will select appropriate principles of good coding practice for open source software, with the goal of detecting certain classes of common security flaws. We will express these principles as properties in a temporal logic that can be model-checked effectively. A report explaining the selection will be provided. In parallel, we will develop model-checking tools. These tools will be capable of analyzing open source software to check whether it satisfies properties specified in a temporal logic.

Standard setting was rarely practiced so extensively as it has been in cyberspace so far. Acknowledging this unique regulative technique, the Clinton administration originally had made "industry self-regulation" its guiding principle for standardizing the net. So far, this principle has not been changed by the succeeding administration. This paper is a historical and conceptual critical assessment of that standardzation policy, examined through the prism of comparative institutional theory.

Task 1: Next Generation Network Architecture and Protocol Studies
Berkeley team, together with Davis team, will design next generation network architectures and protocols, and conduct comparative simulation studies on the designed protocols and architectures in terms of performance, robustness, and scalability. The studies will pay special attention to performance and robustness across heterogeneous networks (optical, wireline, wireless mobile layers) supporting emerging new services (realtime video applications, multimedia, and high-capacity data exchange).

The proposed research looks at a new class of spatial models derived from the convolution representation of Gaussian process models. By expanding the class of distributions for the underlying process being convolved, a range of flexible spatial models results. These models are especially useful for inverse problems and spatial processes over time.

Our critical infrastructures continue to be vulnerable to cyber attack, and the nation is at risk from the convergence of cyber attack and more traditional terrorist activities. As the Internet has become pervasive and all of our critical infrastructures inextricably tied to information systems, we are increasingly at risk for economic, social and physical disruption through the rampant insecurities of information systems today. The urgent application of cyber defense technologies is required in order to adequately protect the nation's information infrastructures.

The research efforts of the RUBINET Group focus on designing network infrastructures that are robust, secure, efficient, and support ubiquitous (mobile) computing. With the rapid technology advancement in wireless sensors, specialized hand-held devices, and smart appliances, the future network infrastructure has to be flexible enough to connect these heterogeneous end nodes over different networks, from the conventional wide-area Internet to wireless and satellite links.

Intellectual Merit: The combination of two or more materials in the form of nanocomposite in making microstructures could open up a new class of materials for microsystem applications. The first motivation of this research is therefore to investigate metal-organic/inorganic nanocomposites by adding nanoparticles into microstructures in order to modify and strengthen the material properties and alleviate the mechanical deficiency such as fatigue and aging with the advantage of low temperature processing and feasibility for direct integration with microelectronics.

This project is pursuing studies on the architecture and protocol design, performance analysis, and experimentation of optical packet switching networks, targeting to achieve a high-performance optical-label switching (OLS) system in the core (fast core) with an intelligent traffic management at the edge (smart edge).

The Bay Area has an extensive transit system with networks of buses, light rail, and heavy rail extending to most major destinations. However, access (walking distance or parking) to transit stations limits the number of patrons that can effectively utilize the transit system. While there are some effective feeder services that help extend transit access to a broader range of customers, these systems have limited utility due to fixed routes and schedules.

The Internet is one of the great technology success stories of the twentieth century, enabling greater access to information and provided new modes of communication among people and organizations. Unfortunately, the Internet's very success is now creating obstacles to innovation in the networking technology that lies at its core. The size and scope of the public Internet now make the introduction and deployment of new network services very difficult.

Geckos have the remarkable ability to run at any orientation on just about any smooth or rough, wet or dry, clean or dirty surface. The basis for geckos' adhesive properties is in the millions of micron-scale setae on each toe of the gecko form a self-cleaning dry adhesive. The tip of each seta consists of 100 to 1000 spatulae only 100 nanometers in diameter.

PlanetLab is an open, globally distributed testbed for developing, deploying and accessing planetary-scale network services. There are currently more than 220 machines at 100 sites world-wide available to support both short-term experiments and long-running network services.

Parking is costly and limited in almost every major city in the U.S., contributing to increased congestion, air pollution, driver frustration, and safety problems. Furthermore, limited parking can also constrain transit ridership in dense regions, such as the Bay Area, where transit parking is full or close to capacity at 26 of BART's 29 transit stations. Job growth is projected to increase by 25% by 2010 in the Bay Area; thus, greater parking shortfalls are expected at transit facilities and in dense urban areas.

The rapid progress in embedded hardware and software makes plausible ever more ambitious distributed, multi-layer, multi-objective, adaptive control systems. However, adequate design methodologies and design support lag far behind. Consequently, today most of the cost in system development is spent on ad hoc, prohibitively expensive systems integration and validation techniques that rely almost exclusively on testing the entire system.

The goal of this project is to build an intelligent optical router. The Optical Switching and Optical Signal Processing technologies coupled with advanced electronics technologies provide a wealthy means to create a very intelligent and versatile optical router. The UC Davis team has completed protyping of the first optical router and successfully demonstrated the field trial in the Sprint NTON network. The pursued optical router addresses the following important issues for the Next Generation Internet.
> Ultra-low latency (10~100 nsec) and protocol independent packet forwarding

The science/engineering goal of the Smart Dust project is to demonstrate that a complete sensor/communication system can be integrated into a cubic millimeter package. This involves both evolutionary and revolutionary advances in miniaturization, integration, and energy management.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is sponsoring a program for Nano Mechanical Array Signal Processors (NMASP). The key focus of this program is on optimized combinations of innovative solutions in micro or nano fabrication, materials processing, device design, transduction mechanism, interconnects, and other relevant engineering approaches that directly address the performance issues in high-Q UHF mechanical resonator arrays for RF transceiver and signal processor applications.

The Smart Mobility Model Project is a collaborative effort among the U.C. Davis campus, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), UC Berkeley's Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways, and the Institute of Transportation Studies. The goal of the project is to optimize individual mobility through improved connectivity among modes, enhanced techniques to link land-use planning and transportation system design, and advanced information and clean-fuel technologies.

The increasing demand for air travel is stressing the current, mostly human operated ATM (air traffic management) system. It has been suggested that the enhanced automation in future ATM may alleviate some of this stress by improving the efficiency of the system and simplifying the task of the human operators. This improvement, of course, has to be achieved while maintaining (or ideally improving) the level of safety over the current system.

In programming languages, unforgetable references often serve as capabilities; for instance, a reference to an object may serve as a capability for accessing the object. This project studies the principles of those capabilities and develops capability-based techniques. Process calculi (in particular, relatives of the pi calculus) provide a rich, useful foundation for this work; the project investigates an extension of the pi calculus that permits operations on capabilities. In that setting, it aims to develop type systems, logics, semantics, and applications.

What is commonly considered the World Wide Web is a small fraction of the data available on the Internet. The volume of hypertext accessible to conventional search engines is 400 to 550 times smaller than the 7.5 petabytes of networked databases from directory services, information portals, scientists, government agencies and other providers. Our goal is to explore the mechanisms for and consequences of aggressively leveraging this underutilized resource.

As communication needs and model equations for physical, biological, financial, or social systems have increased in complexity, computer simulation for such applications has evolved into a separate discipline devoted to the science and engineering of computational systems. This field, known as computational science and engineering (CSE) encompasses subdisciplines ranging from computational mathematics and algorithms to visualization and simulation of model equations to studies of communication systems, networking, and processing of digital information.

An Interactive Sensor Networks (ISN) is a distributed sensor and communication system where two things obtain: Some data processing is done at the sensor node location before being sent to the main processing location; and, the processing done at the sensor node location is configurable by the specific user in real time, to save system resources as well as make the output the user receives more friendly. Work performed in this project will consist of designing interactive sensor nodes, building the nodes, setting up a distributed system, and characterizing and testing.

A networked virtual reality (NVR) is a software plane where multiple users can interact with each other in real time, even though these users may be distributed around the whole network. This project focuses on the design of an efficient transport/network layer service to provide QoS guarantees to an NVR system. We propose to model the NVR source characteristics, the communication patterns between remote sites, and its bandwidth, latency, and reliability requirements of the underlying network layer.

In the recently five years, image-based rendering (IBR) has been an active research area and considered as a potential approach for photorealistic rendering of complex scenes that are difficult to model and render using the traditional polygon-based graphics pipeline. The basic idea of IBR is to combine images of the scene collected from different but fixed viewpoints to create new views. Early work in image-based rendering was based on the assumptions that a large number of cameras are densely placed around the scene or the geometry of the scene is known in advance.

The PicoRadio project strives to develop the range of technologies necessary for the realization of ultralow energy wireless sensor networks. These include the study of multi-hop networks, and media-access layers that support low variable-rate data transmission while ensuring energy-consumption levels that are close to the theoretical limits. The target is to create a node that consumes 50-100 uW to operate. This power consumption would allow it to power itself from the energy sources of the operating environment.

The goal of the Wind to Whales project is to predict present and future effects of human activities on marine ecosystems. The project brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers from five partner institutions around Monterey Bay, with UCSC as the lead institution. The other partners are the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Laboratory in Santa Cruz. The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is also involved.

Cryptography is a fundamental building block for building information systems, and as we enter the so-called "information age" of global networks, ubiquitous computing devices, and electronic commerce, we can expect that the cryptography will become only more important with time.

We are developing theories, software, and computational tools for the hierarchical modeling of distributed hybrid and embedded systems by providing technologies for their composable specification, analysis, simulation, and synthesis.
We shall help survey the state-of-the-art in hybrid and embedded system technology. The Berkeley contribution to the report will focus on established research projects and major industrial R&D and standardization efforts. Specifically included in this survey will be the SystemC initiative (www.systemc.org) and other component-based

Temperature strongly affects output power and peak wavelength characteristics of active optoelectronic devices. In this paper we describe how thermoreflectance imaging technique can be used to obtain thermal maps of photonic devices under operation. Submicron spatial resolution and <0.1C temperature resolution has been achieved. Temperature non-uniformity is investigated in various multi section lasers and photonic integrated circuits. It is shown that large temperature variations can be developed over small regions on the order of 20-30 micrometers in diameter.

We seek to develop a system that enables small robots to perform missions reliably in dynamic environments. New object-referenced representations and behaviors will enable these robots to perceive and react to other actors (people, vehicles, other robots), and carry out end-to-end missions in the face of unexpected dynamic events.

Management processes rely on in-depth planning functions that