Events

Jan 23 - Jan 29, 2022

• 

  Towards Compact Grid Interactive EV Charging

  Shehab Ahmed, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jan 23, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Towards Compact Grid Interactive EV Charging

  After a quick overview of the ECE Graduate Seminar logistics, I will share the progression of our team’s work in the field of compact integrated on-board EV charging.

Jan 16 - Jan 22, 2022

• 

  Miniaturized Drug Delivery Systems for Biomedical Applications

  Khalil Moussi, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jan 18, 18:15 - 20:00

  KAUST

  Highly integrated and customizable systems have been a principal focus of development for parenteral and oral drug administration. Extensive work has been done to optimize drug efficacy via localized delivery and dosage control providing new ways for accomplishing targeted therapeutic effects. However, many challenges and opportunities for advancement remain. One promising research path is introducing novel microfabrication methods or engineering discoveries in concept realization, making devices more versatile and effective.

Dec 19 - Dec 25, 2021

• 

  Control Design for Alignment Problem in Optical Wireless Communication

  Asem Al Alwan , Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Dec 23, 16:00 - 18:00

  KAUST

  Optical Wireless Communication (OWC) offers many benefits over established radio frequency-based communication links. In particular, high beam directivity generates efficient power usage and high-speed data services. Moreover, due to its ease of deployment, high transmission security, license-free operation, and insensitivity to interference, the OWC link is becoming an attractive solution for the next generation of communication systems.

Dec 12 - Dec 18, 2021

• 

  Signal Processing and Optimization Techniques for High Accuracy Indoor Localization, Tracking, and Attitude Determination

  Mohammed Hussain AlSharif, Ph.D. Student (former), Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Dec 16, 14:00 - 15:00

  B1 L3 R3119

  Indoor localization Ultrasonic-based Localization Signal processing

  High-accuracy indoor localization and tracking systems are essential for many modern applications and technologies. However, accurate location estimation of moving targets is challenging. This thesis addresses the challenges in indoor localization and tracking systems and proposes several solutions. A novel signal design, which we named Differential Zadoff-Chu, allows us to develop algorithms that accurately estimate the distances of static and moving targets even under random Doppler shifts. The results show that the proposed algorithms outperform the state-of-the-art in terms of both accuracy and complexity.

Dec 5 - Dec 11, 2021

• 

  Integrated Sensors: The synergistic combination of materials and microelectronics - 2021

  Khaled Salama, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Dec 5, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Integrated Sensors

  In this talk we will present the design and implementation of monolithic and hybrid sensors using integrated circuits.

Nov 28 - Dec 4, 2021

• 

  From Intrusion Tolerance to Trust and Recovery: A Research Overview

  Professor Miguel Correia, Computer Science and Engineering Department, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa

  Dec 1, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L3 R3223

  The seminar is an overview on my research path and approach. I will start with my initial research on the concept of intrusion tolerance and present some of the results I had at the time. Then, I will show how this initial research had led me to other areas and related approaches: software security, trusted computing, intrusion detection, intrusion recovery, and blockchain interoperability. I will present with some detail very recent research on securely moving data between trusted execution environments (TEEs) in a non-interactive way, a problem that must be solved for digital id crypto wallets starting to appear in Europe and elsewhere.
• 

  Robust high temperature operation of quantum dot lasers grown on (001) Si for Photonic Integrated Circuit

  Chen Shang, PhD candidate, University of California, Santa Barbara

  Dec 1, 08:00 - 09:00

  KAUST

  Epitaxially grown quantum dot (QD) lasers are emerging as an economical approach to obtain on-chip light sources. Thanks to the three-dimensional confinement of carriers, QDs show greatly improved tolerance to defects and promise other advantages such as low transparency current density, high temperature operation, isolator-free operation, and enhanced four-wave-mixing.
• 

  Securing 5G and Beyond Networks from Malware Epidemics: A Percolation Theoretic Approach

  Hesham Elsawy, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering KFUPM, Dhahran

  Nov 28, 13:00 - 14:00

  B1 L3 R3119

  5G networks malware

  This talk will introduce and motivate a percolation theoretic approach to characterize and thwart malware diffusion in dense wireless networks. First, a brief tutorial on percolation theory will be introduced. Then, the talk will explain the utilization of percolation theory to develop security countermeasures for malware epidemics in 5G and beyond networks.
• 

  Exploiting Spatial-Temporal Graph Structure in the Data for Better EEG Source Imaging

  Feng Liu, Assistant Professor, School of Systems and Enterprises at Stevens Institute of Technology

  Nov 28, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Exploiting Spatial

  The electroencephalogram (EEG) is an important neuroimaging modality to measure neuronal activity of the human brain.

Nov 21 - Nov 27, 2021

• 

  High Agility and other Aerial Robots

  Eric Feron, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, KAUST, Saudi Arabia

  Nov 23, 16:30 - 17:30

  KAUST

  Abstract Robotic flight is as old as aviation itself. It might be argued that today, the only robots to whom humans are OK trusting their lives are Airplanes, Air Trains, Elevators, and Escalators. Flying Robots can take many shapes, motions, and missions. Flying robots where dynamics matters constitute the core of this presentation. To begin with, the aerobatic flight will be discussed as it happened at a time when computer power was limited and flying machines were still running with gas engines. Then, atmospheric reduced-gravity autonomous test platforms will follow, introducing the initial
• 

  Harnessing complexity for technological applications

  Andrea Fratalocchi, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 21, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Harnessing complexity for technological applications

  This talk will give an overview of research activity of engineering different types of complex systems into technological applications in energy harvesting, material science, artificial intelligence and bio-imaging.

Nov 14 - Nov 20, 2021

• 

  Towards Secure and Resilient Cyber-Physical Energy Systems - 2021-11-14

  Charalambos (Harrys) Konstantinou, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 14, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  This talk will give an overview of the research of the Secure Next Generation Resilient Systems (SENTRY) lab (sentry.kaust.edu.sa) at KAUST.

Nov 7 - Nov 13, 2021

• 

  Characterization of non-conventional methods for alignment relaxation in underwater wireless optical communication systems

  Mohammed Sait, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 11, 15:00 - 16:00

  B3 L3 R5220

  The paradigm of Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) is expected to enable various practical applications such as environmental monitoring, underwater exploration, and disaster prevention. Supporting the concept of IoUT requires robust underwater wireless communication infrastructure. Optical wireless communication has the superiority of wide bandwidth, low latency and high data capacity over its counterparts namely, acoustic and radio frequency.
• 

  Lessons Learned In Building Trustworthy Systems with Trusted Execution Environments

  Valerio Schiavoni, Scientific Coordinator and Lecturer, Centre of Competence for Complex Systems and Big Data, University of Neuchâtel

  Nov 11, 12:00 - 13:00

  B9 L3 R3223

  Available as dedicated hardware components into several mobile and server-grade processors, and recently included in infrastructure-as-a-service commercial offerings by several cloud providers, TEEs allow applications with high privacy and confidentiality demands to be deployed and executed over untrusted environments, shielding data and code from compromised systems or powerful attackers. After an introduction to basic concepts for TEEs, I will survey some of our most recent contributions exploiting TEEs, including as defensive tools in the context of Federated Learning, as support to build secure cache systems for edge networks, as protection mechanisms in a med-tech/e-health context, shielding novel environments (ie, WebAssembly), and more. Finally, I will highlight some of the lessons learned and offer open perspectives, hopefully useful and inspirational to future researchers and practitioners entering this exciting area of research.
• 

  Deep-Ultraviolet Optoelectronics Based on GaN Quantum Disks and Bio-Inspired Nanostructures

  Ram Chandra Subedi, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 10, 18:00 - 19:00

  B3 L5 R5209

  Optoelectronics in the deep-ultraviolet (DUV) regime is still a growing research field that requires significant effort to understand the material properties and optimize the device structures to realize highly efficient DUV devices. Of all the wide bandgap materials, AlGaN is perhaps the most studied semiconductor to replace the environmentally hazardous mercury lamps; however, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of AlGaN based DUV devices is insufficient to replace the existing old-fashioned mercury UV lamps.
• 

  On the Downlink Operation and Architecture Optimization of Multi-User VLC Systems

  Amr M. Abdelhady, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Communication and Computing Systems Lab

  Nov 9, 16:00 - 18:00

  KAUST

  The limited overcrowded radio frequency spectrum compelled researchers to explore higher frequency ranges for wireless transmission such as optical frequency bands. In recent decades, visible light communications (VLC) have gained lots of research attention thanks to the abundant bandwidth they offer and the existing lighting infrastructure they utilize that consequently reduces deployment costs.
• 

  Hybrid inorganic heterostructures and methods of fabricating p-type semiconductors for optoelectronic devices

  Jian Wei Liang, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 8, 14:00 - 16:00

  KAUST

  Semiconductor devices based on wide-bandgap materials exhibit a higher breakdown voltage, temperature tolerance, and device stability, and lower energy loss than devices based on low-bandgap materials. Several limitations challenge the use of III-nitrides and transition metal oxides as wide-bandgap materials. This thesis proposes novel methods to surmount these issues.
• 

  Lyapunov equations that go beyond Lyapunov equations for system stability and performance

  Eric Feron, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Nov 7, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Lyapunov equations

  Lyapunov's stability theory, which was formulated around 1892, presents itself as a watershed event in the study of dynamical systems.

Oct 31 - Nov 6, 2021

• 

  Social Decision Making for Robot Navigation

  Shinkyu Park, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 31, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Social robot navigation

  Robot navigation typically comprises of decision making at two different levels - global planning to compute a viable trajectory to the robot's destination and strategic (local) interaction to elicit cooperation and resolve any conflicts with other robots/pedestrians that would arise while navigating along the trajectory. Robot navigation in crowded environments is particularly challenging as the robot needs to exhibit navigation behaviors that are conceived as socially compliant by human pedestrians or vehicles they maneuver at both of the levels. In this presentation, I will introduce some of relevant works from my research group.

Oct 24 - Oct 30, 2021

• 

  High-Bitrate Photodetection in Ultraviolet-to-Visible for Optical Wireless Communication

  Chun Hong Kang, Research Scientist, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 28, 16:00 - 17:00

  KAUST

  Optical wireless communication, taking advantage of the unlicensed ultraviolet-to-visible wavelength region of the electromagnetic spectrum, had been coined as the next-generation wireless communication technology and holds promises to deliver a boundless, high-speed, reliable and secured broadband experience.
• 

  Topologically Transformed Electronics for Internet-of-Things Applications

  Nazek El-Atab, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 24, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Topologically Transformed electronics

  We live in the age of information where electronics play a critical role in our daily life. Moore’s Law: performance over cost has inspired innovation in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology and enabled high performance, ultra-scaled CMOS electronics.

Oct 10 - Oct 16, 2021

• 

  Asymmetric Signaling: A New Dimension of Interference Management in Hardware Impaired Communication Systems

  Sidrah Javed, Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 11, 17:00 - 18:00

  KAUST

  Hardware impairments (HWIs) impose a huge challenge on modern wireless communication systems owing to the characteristics like compactness, least complexity, cost effectiveness and high energy efficiency. Numerous techniques are implemented to minimize the detrimental effects of these HWIs ,however, the residual HWIs may still appear as an additive distortion, multiplicative interference, or an aggregate of both. Numerous studies have commenced efforts to model one or the other forms of hardware impairments in the radio frequency (RF) transceivers. Many presented the widely linear model for in-phase and quadrature imbalance (IQI) but failed to recognize the impropriety induced in the system because of the self-interfering signals. Therefore, we have presented not only a rigorous aggregate impairment model along with its complete impropriety statistical characterization but also the appropriate performance analysis to quantify their degradation effects. Latest advances have endorsed the superiority of incorporating more generalized impropriety phenomenon as opposed to conventional propriety.
• 

  Present and Future of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Empowered Communications

  Ertugrul Basar, Associate Professor, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Koç University

  Oct 10, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Present and Future of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface-Empowered Communications

  Signal processing and communication communities have witnessed the rise of many exciting communication technologies in recent years. Notable examples include alternative waveforms, massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) signaling, non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), joint communications and sensing, sparse vector coding, index modulation, and so on.

Oct 3 - Oct 9, 2021

• 

  Visible light-emitting diodes for next-generation displays

  Daisuke Iida, Senior Research Scientist, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Oct 3, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Visible light emitting diodes for next generation displays

  This talk will provide an overview of the III-nitride-based visible light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Especially, the InGaN-based blue LEDs are very contributed to energy-saving for light sources all over the world.

Sep 26 - Oct 2, 2021

• 

  Frequency Control and stability for Low-Inertia Systems

  Ha Thi Nguyen, Assistant Research Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Connecticut

  Sep 30, 15:30 - 16:30

  KAUST

  synchronous condenser synthetic inertia real time digital simulator

  The rapid penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into power systems has introduced many challenges in securing a stable network operation and has forced power systems to operate in low inertia conditions. Low short-circuit power and intrinsic inertial response from converter-interfaced RES may cause poor dynamic performance of systems and render the system frequency more vulnerable than conventional grids. The talk proposes and analyzes different strategies using synchronous condenser (SC), synthetic inertia (SI) of wind power plant, and their combination to enhance the frequency stability of low inertia systems under various scenarios and wind conditions.
• 

  Accurate and Efficient Methods to Simulate Electromagnetic Systems

  Hakan Bagci, Associate Dean for Students, Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering

  Sep 28, 16:00 - 17:30

  B9 L2 R2322

  Simulation tools are often enablers of cutting-edge research in many fields of science and engineering. This also applies to the field of electromagnetics: Design and characterization of many electromagnetic systems and devices, which drive technological advances in areas such as communications, computing, biomedicine, and solar energy, would not be possible without simulation tools. Having said that, developing numerical methods for electromagnetic analysis of such complex systems is not a trivial task. Dimensions of these systems are large (longer than several wavelengths), their frequency of operation has a wide range, and their geometry has sub-wavelength features. When it comes to simulating these systems by solving the Maxwell equations (in differential or integral form), these characteristics translate into multiscale discretizations, large and often ill-conditioned matrix systems with millions of unknowns to be solved for, and long execution times. My research group at KAUST has been developing efficient, accurate, and robust electromagnetic solvers to address these challenges. In this talk, I will provide an overview of my group’s recent research activities. Technical part of my presentation will focus on two examples, where I talk about solvers we have developed to efficiently and accurately simulate photoconductive antennas (used in terahertz source generation) and plasmonic structures (with a wide range of applications from sensing to solar energy). I will provide results that demonstrate the benefits of these solvers over existing methods. I will conclude my talk with a brief description of my future research plans and a few slides about my research supervision, teaching activities, and international visibility of my research group.
• 

  Advanced Ga2O3 flexible and electronic devices

  Xiao Tang, Research Scientist, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Sep 26, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Nowadays, the development of portable and wearable electronics becomes unprecedentedly significant because they allow for real-time communication, remote controlling, and monitoring of various potential environmental hazards regardless of location and time.

Sep 19 - Sep 25, 2021

• 

  Network-based clustering approaches for integrative multiomics data and drug response prediction

  Zehor Belkhatir, Senior Lecturer, Control Engineering, De Montfort University

  Sep 20, 15:00 - 16:00

  B1 L2 H2

  multiomics data integration Wasserstein distance gene ontology

  Biological data sets, such as gene expressions, copy number alteration, and pharmacogenomics, are often high-dimensional and thus difficult to analyze and interpret. This talk presents two data analysis methodologies that we recently developed based on network analysis via Wasserstein optimal transport combined with unsupervised classification techniques.
• 

  Resilience is the Cybersecurity of the XXI century, and here's why! - 2021-09-19

  Sep 19, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  In a nutshell, Resilient Computing is a new paradigm based on modelling, architecting and designing computer systems so that: they have built-in baseline defences; such defences cope with virtually any quality of threat, be it accidental faults, design errors, cyber-attacks, or unexpected operating conditions; provide incremental protection of, and automatically adapt to, a dynamic range of threat severity; provide sustainable operation. Resilient Computing will be a game changer in the craft of designing computer systems of today and future.

Sep 12 - Sep 18, 2021

• 

  Audio Event Recognition for Automatic Acoustic Monitoring

  Farook Sattar, Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Victoria, Canada

  Sep 16, 16:00 - 17:00

  KAUST

  bioacoustics acoustic signals audio event recognition

  Nowadays acoustic sensors collect huge amount of data on a regular basis to monitor various activities. This necessitates automated audio event recognition using acoustic data. In this talk, we will present effective methods for detecting and classifying different audio events. Interesting ideas and results will be shown for the proposed methods related to biological/bioacoustic signals.
• 

  End-to-end Optics Design for Computational Cameras

  Qilin Sun, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Sep 15, 16:20 - 18:10

  KAUST

  Imaging systems have long been designed in separated steps: the experience-driven optical design followed by sophisticated image processing. Such a general-propose approach achieves success in the past but left the question open for specific tasks and the best compromise between optics and post-processing, as well as minimizing costs. Driven from this, a series of works are proposed to bring the imaging system design into end-to-end fashion step by step, from joint optics design, PSF optimization, phase map optimization to a general end-to-end complex lens camera.
• 

  Multiphysics Simulation of Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices

  Liang Chen, Research Scientist, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Sep 12, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Multiphysics Simulation

  In this talk, I will introduce a simulator specifically formulated and implemented for photoconductive terahertz devices enhanced with nanostructures. The fundamental challenge in formulating this simulator is the rigorous modeling of the coupling mentioned above. My talk will focus on this aspect as well as the general concerns in building mathematical models for various physical processes and their numerical discretization. To this end, I will introduce a discontinuous Galerkin framework that can efficiently discretize the multiscale mathematical models formulated for coupled semiconductor physics and electromagnetics. Furthermore, I will present numerical results which demonstrate the applicability of this framework in characterizations of photoconductive terahertz antennas and photomixers.

Sep 5 - Sep 11, 2021

• 

  Microwave Water Cut Sensors for Oil Industry: From Design to Deployment in the Field

  Muhammad A. Karimi, Chief Technology Officer, Saher Flow Solutions

  Sep 5, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  This talk will be focused on developing low-cost sensors, which can increase oil production efficiency through real-time monitoring of oil wells. The mechanism behind the development of low-cost & printed microwave sensors will be introduced followed by a number of applications where these sensors can be utilized. A specific application to measure the composition of production fluid will be described in detail. Unique benefits of Microwave DMOR technology, utilized in the sensors, will be explained in comparison with existing technologies.

Aug 29 - Sep 4, 2021

• 

  Dark Vision: A Sensory Eye into Subsurface Wellbore Casings

  Shehab Ahmed, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Aug 29, 12:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  Dark Vision Sensory Eye Subsurface Wellbore

  After a quick overview of the ECE Graduate Seminar logistics, I will share a quick introduction to the wellbore construction process. This will help build the case for maintaining wellbore integrity in order to protect assets, people, the environment and production. The synergistic integration of electromagnetics, electronics and machine learning to create a novel mechatronic solution to address wellbore integrity needs is then discussed. The solution utilizes a full maxwell equations solver deployed on KAUST’s super computing platforms to enable next generation physics informed wellbore integrity solutions based on non-contact EM field propagation circuits. While downhole camera technologies are used today, they require illumination and an optically clear environment. Our electromagnetic ‘vision’ system overcomes these limitations and provides additional capability to ‘see through’ nested wellbore tubulars.

Aug 15 - Aug 21, 2021

• 

  Machine Learning in Healthcare: When Low Sample Size is not a Limitation

  Dr. Ricardo Henao, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University

  Aug 17, 14:30 - 15:30

  KAUST

  In this talk, I will describe three use cases that highlight present challenges and opportunities for the development of machine learning methodology for applications in healthcare. First, I will describe the development of simple word embedding approaches for bag of-documents classification and its applications to diagnosis of peripheral artery disease from clinical narratives. Second, I will present an approach for volumetric image classification that leverages attention mechanisms, contrastive learning and feature-encoding sharing for geographic atrophy prognosis from optical coherence tomography images. Third, I will discuss machine learning approaches for multi-modal and multi-dataset integration for biomarker discovery from molecular (omics) data. To conclude, I will summarize the contributions and insights in each of these different directions in which relatively low sample sizes are the common denominator.
• 

  Applications of Magnetic Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers to the Field of Spinorbitronics

  Idris H. Smaili, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Aug 16, 11:00 - 13:00

  KAUST

  flexible nanodevices flexible solar cells nanomaterials thin films density functional theory

  Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) devices have been widely studied since the 1960s. During this time, the size of spintronic devices has continued to decrease. Consequently, there is now an urgent need for new low-dimensional magnetic materials to mimic the traditional structures of spintronics at the nanoscale. We also require new effective mechanisms to conduct the main functions of memory devices, which are: reading, writing, and storing data.

Jul 25 - Jul 31, 2021

• 

  Stochastic Optimization in Target Positioning and Location-based Applications

  Hui Chen, Ph.D. Student (former), Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jul 27, 17:00 - 19:00

  KAUST

  stochastic algorithm optimization Hand Gestures Recognition

  This event has been postponed from 20th July to 27th July. Stochastic optimization refers to the minimization/maximization of an objective function in the presence of randomness. The randomness may appear in objective functions, constraints, or optimization methods. It has the advantage of dealing with uncertainties that deterministic optimizers cannot solve or cannot solve efficiently. In this work, we discuss the implementation of stochastic optimization methods in solving target positioning problems and tackling key issues in location-based applications.

Jul 4 - Jul 10, 2021

• 

  State Estimation for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems: Methods and Applications | Part 2C

  Prof. Ali Zemouche, Université de Lorraine and Khadidja Chaïb Draa, TechnOptiz

  Jul 7, 14:00 - 17:00

  KAUST

  nonlinear dynamics linear matrix inequalities Lyapunov methods

  Abstract In this lecture we will address the problem of observer design for nonlinear systems. It is mainly devoted to Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) based methods and their use to improve observer design for a large class of nonlinear systems. A second part of this course will be dedicated to simple but useful contributions to high-gain observer design, where some techniques to improve performances of the standard high gain observer will be presented. Before tackling the problem of observer design, basic notions on stability by using direct and indirect Lyapunov methods will be thoroughly
• 

  State Estimation for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems: Methods and Applications | Part 2B

  Prof. Ali Zemouche, Université de Lorraine and Khadidja Chaïb Draa, TechnOptiz

  Jul 6, 14:00 - 17:00

  KAUST

  nonlinear dynamics linear matrix inequalities Lyapunov methods

  Abstract In this lecture we will address the problem of observer design for nonlinear systems. It is mainly devoted to Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) based methods and their use to improve observer design for a large class of nonlinear systems. A second part of this course will be dedicated to simple but useful contributions to high-gain observer design, where some techniques to improve performances of the standard high gain observer will be presented. Before tackling the problem of observer design, basic notions on stability by using direct and indirect Lyapunov methods will be thoroughly
• 

  State Estimation for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems: Methods and Applications | Part 2A

  Prof. Ali Zemouche, Université de Lorraine and Khadidja Chaïb Draa, TechnOptiz

  Jul 5, 14:00 - 17:00

  KAUST

  nonlinear dynamics linear matrix inequalities Lyapunov methods

  Abstract In this lecture we will address the problem of observer design for nonlinear systems. It is mainly devoted to Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) based methods and their use to improve observer design for a large class of nonlinear systems. A second part of this course will be dedicated to simple but useful contributions to high-gain observer design, where some techniques to improve performances of the standard high gain observer will be presented. Before tackling the problem of observer design, basic notions on stability by using direct and indirect Lyapunov methods will be thoroughly

Jun 27 - Jul 3, 2021

• 

  State estimation for nonlinear dynamical systems: Methods and applications | Part 1C

  Prof. Ali Zemouche, Université de Lorraine and Khadidja Chaïb Draa, TechnOptiz

  Jun 30, 14:00 - 17:00

  KAUST

  nonlinear dynamics linear matrix inequalities Lyapunov methods

  Abstract In this lecture we will address the problem of observer design for nonlinear systems. It is mainly devoted to Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) based methods and their use to improve observer design for a large class of nonlinear systems. A second part of this course will be dedicated to simple but useful contributions to high-gain observer design, where some techniques to improve performances of the standard high gain observer will be presented. Before tackling the problem of observer design, basic notions on stability by using direct and indirect Lyapunov methods will be thoroughly
• 

  State Estimation for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems: Methods and Applications | Part 1B

  Prof. Ali Zemouche, Université de Lorraine and Khadidja Chaïb Draa, TechnOptiz

  Jun 29, 14:00 - 17:00

  KAUST

  nonlinear dynamics linear matrix inequalities Lyapunov methods

  Abstract In this lecture we will address the problem of observer design for nonlinear systems. It is mainly devoted to Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) based methods and their use to improve observer design for a large class of nonlinear systems. A second part of this course will be dedicated to simple but useful contributions to high-gain observer design, where some techniques to improve performances of the standard high gain observer will be presented. Before tackling the problem of observer design, basic notions on stability by using direct and indirect Lyapunov methods will be thoroughly

Jun 13 - Jun 19, 2021

• 

  Learning over Graphs

  Ali H. Sayed, Dean of Engineering, EPFL Switzerland

  Jun 15, 16:30 - 17:45

  KAUST

  This talk explains how agents over a graph can learn from dispersed information and solve inference tasks of varying degrees of complexity through localized processing. The presentation also shows how information or misinformation is diffused over graphs, how beliefs are formed, and how the graph topology helps resist or enable manipulation. Examples will be considered in the context of social learning, teamwork, distributed optimization, and adversarial behavior.

Jun 6 - Jun 12, 2021

• 

  Research on Ultrawide Bandgap Semiconductors

  Xiaohang Li, Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  Jun 8, 15:00 - 16:30

  KAUST

  Wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors including GaN have demonstrated great success in lighting, display, electrification, and 5G communication due to superior properties and decades of R&D. Lately, the III-nitride and III-oxide ultrawide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors with bandgap larger than GaN have attracted increasing attentions. They are regarded as the 4th wave of the inorganic semiconductors after the consequential Si, III-V, and WBG semiconductors. Because the UWBG along with other properties could enable electronics and photonics to operate with significantly greater power and frequency capability and at much shorter far−deep UV wavelengths, crucial for sustainability and health of the human society. Besides, they could be employed for the revolutionary quantum information science as the host and photonic platform. This seminar would cover the latest research by the Advanced Semiconductor Lab. It includes multi-disciplinary studies of growth, materials, physics, and devices of the UWBG semiconductors.

May 30 - Jun 5, 2021

• 

  Part 2B | PDE Backstepping Boundary Control of Parabolic PDEs

  Prof. Mamadou Diagne, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Jun 2, 17:00 - 18:30

  KAUST

  Partial Differential Equations Lyapunov methods linear parabolic PDEs parabolic-hyperbolic PDE

  Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are often used to model various complex physical systems. Representative engineering applications such as heat exchangers, transmission lines, oil wells, road traffic, multiphase flow, melting phenomena, supply chains, collective dynamics, and even chemical processes governing the state of charge of Lithium-ion battery, extrusion, reactors to mention a few. This course will explore the boundary control of a class of parabolic PDE via the well-known backstepping method.
• 

  Part 2A | PDE Backstepping Boundary Control of Parabolic PDEs

  Prof. Mamadou Diagne, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Jun 2, 15:00 - 16:30

  KAUST

  Partial Differential Equations Lyapunov methods linear parabolic PDEs parabolic-hyperbolic PDE

  Abstract Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are often used to model various complex physical systems. Representative engineering applications such as heat exchangers, transmission lines, oil wells, road traffic, multiphase flow, melting phenomena, supply chains, collective dynamics, and even chemical processes governing the state of charge of Lithium-ion battery, extrusion, reactors to mention a few. Generally, key aspects of these processes operating mode are driven by convection phenomena with a spatiotemporal dynamic that cannot be approximated straightforwardly using a finite
• 

  Part 1B | PDE Backstepping Boundary Control of Parabolic PDEs

  Prof. Mamadou Diagne, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Jun 1, 17:00 - 18:30

  KAUST

  Partial Differential Equations Lyapunov methods linear parabolic PDEs parabolic-hyperbolic PDE

  PDE Backstepping Boundary Control of Parabolic PDEs Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are often used to model various complex physical systems. Representative engineering applications such as heat exchangers, transmission lines, oil wells, road traffic, multiphase flow, melting phenomena, supply chains, collective dynamics, and even chemical processes governing the state of charge of Lithium-ion battery, extrusion, reactors to mention a few. This course will explore the boundary control of a class of parabolic PDE via the well-known backstepping method.
• 

  Part 1A | PDE Backstepping Boundary Control of Parabolic PDEs

  Prof. Mamadou Diagne, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

  Jun 1, 15:00 - 16:30

  KAUST

  Partial Differential Equations Lyapunov methods linear parabolic PDEs parabolic-hyperbolic PDE

  Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) are often used to model various complex physical systems. Representative engineering applications such as heat exchangers, transmission lines, oil wells, road traffic, multiphase flow, melting phenomena, supply chains, collective dynamics, and even chemical processes governing the state of charge of Lithium-ion battery, extrusion, reactors to mention a few. This course will explore the boundary control of a class of parabolic PDE via the well-known backstepping method.

May 23 - May 29, 2021

• 

  Computational Wavefront Sensing: Theory, Practice, and Applications

  Congli Wang, Ph.D. Student, Electrical and Computer Engineering

  May 26, 18:00 - 19:30

  KAUST

  Wavefront sensing is a fundamental problem in applied optics. Wavefront sensors that work in a deterministic manner are of particular interest. Initialized with a unified theory for classical wavefront sensors, this dissertation discusses relevant properties of wavefront sensor designs. Based on which, a new wavefront sensor, termed Coded Wavefront Sensor, is proposed to leverage the advantages of the analysis, especially the lateral wavefront resolution. A prototype was built to demonstrate this new wavefront sensor.
• 

  Towards 6G Wireless Communication Networks: Vision, Enabling Technologies, and New Paradigm Shifts

  H. Vincent Poor, Michael Henry Strater University Professor, Princeton University

  May 25, 15:30 - 16:30

  KAUST

  Fifth generation (5G) wireless communication networks are being deployed worldwide and more capabilities are in the process of being standardized, such as massive connectivity, ultra-reliability, and low latency. However, 5G will not meet all requirements of the future, and sixth generation (6G) wireless networks are expected to provide global coverage, enhanced spectral/energy/cost efficiency, greater intelligence and security, etc. To meet these requirements, 6G networks will rely on new enabling technologies, i.e., air interface and transmission technologies and novel network architectures, such as waveform design, multiple access, channel coding schemes, multi-antenna technologies, network slicing, cell-free architecture, and cloud/fog/edge computing. One vision on 6G is that it will have four new paradigm shifts. First, to satisfy the requirement of global coverage, 6G will not be limited to terrestrial communication networks, which will need to be complemented with non-terrestrial networks such as satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communication networks, thus achieving a space-air-ground-sea integrated communication networks. Multiple spectra will be exploited to further increase data rates and connection density, including the sub-6 GHz, millimeter wave (mmWave), terahertz (THz), and optical frequency bands. Third, facing the very large datasets generated by heterogeneous networks, diverse communication scenarios, large numbers of antennas, wide bandwidths, and new service requirements, 6G networks will enable a new range of smart applications with the aid of AI-related technologies. And, fourth, network security will have to be strengthened when developing 6G networks. This talk will review recent advances and future trends in these four aspects.