2009 & 2010 biennial report - 1 - university of manitoba

ELECTRICAL & COMPUTERENGINEERING

BIENNIAL REPORT2009/2010

2 2009/2010 Biennial Report

3 GREETINGS4 PROGRAMS6 FEATURES10 RESEARCH19 STUDENT AWARDS21 FACULTY23 STAFF

CONTENTS

Electrical & Computer Engineering Departmental Retreat - May 26, 2011

AcknowledgementsGreg Bridges Photographs (page 17)Erwin Dirks Photographs (page 16)Ekram Hossain Photographs (page 12)Dustin Isleifson Photographs (page 8)Shari Klassen Report Production; Photographs (pages 2, 3, 10, 13, 23, 24)Mike Latschislaw Photographs (page 8)Joe LoVetri Photographs (page 10)Allan McKay Photographs (pages 2, 4, 18, 20)Dean McNeill Photographs (page 14)Zahra Moussavi Photographs (pages 6, 7)Cyrus Shafai Photographs (page 15)Brad Tabachnick Photographs (page 9)Pradeepa Yahampath Photographs (page 12)

32009/2010 Biennial Report

GREETINGSIt is with pleasure that I write this summary of achievements of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2009 and 2010. Since it is already halfway into 2011, I will include some of the highlights in the fi rst half of 2011 as well.

Th e past two years have been eventful and exciting. At the beginning of 2009, the biggest challenge that we faced was declining student numbers. With other depart-ments in the Faculty of Engineering taking students to their maximum capacity and the ECE below its half capacity, it was not easy to hold on to a decent share of Faculty resources. We recognized this and launched several actions to promote our programs to prospective students. More than 400 prospective students take the fi rst year course, Introduction to ECE. We introduced new laboratory exercises to expose the students to modern technology and we changed the method of delivery to induce excitement about ECE. We also recognized that by presenting our programs under the two traditional names of Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineer-ing, we do not convey to the prospective students the message that our programs are rich in the content that is relevant to today’s technological needs. We addressed this by introducing 7 focus areas. At the end of 2010 we completed our three-year plan of undergraduate teaching lab upgrades. All our undergraduate laboratories now pos-sess modern equipment, improving laboratory learning and providing experience with modern instrumentation. Currently we are developing a new plan focussed on enabling laboratories that provide industry focused experience. Target areas are Power Systems, Wireless Communications, and Digital Systems. We also expanded our outreach activities to give an opportunity for high-school students and their teachers to experience and learn about exciting career paths. Th ese initiatives were possible because of the commitment and dedication of ECE staff . We are thrilled that our student intake has now almost reached full capacity.

We started a new initiative to help students outside the classroom. During the 2010-2011 academic year we had a large classroom available to students on two evenings every week. During these informal help sessions, students work independently or in groups, with two Teaching Assistants present to provide them with help when need-ed. Th is will continue in the coming academic year with more assistance available.

ECE off ers three graduate programs leading to Ph.D., M. Sc., and M. Eng. degrees. In 2010, there were 159 graduate students including 68 enrolled for Ph.D. degrees. With these student numbers and research funds over $4M per annum brought into the research programs, it is apparent that we have a thriving graduate program. A list of research publications is available on the ECE web page.

Some of the highlights of the past two years include: Dr. Lotfollah Shafai receiving the Killam Prize for Engineering; Dr. Aniruddha Gole receiving the IEEE Fellow and the Distinguished Professor status; Dr. Zahra Moussavi becoming CRC II Chair in Biomedical Engineering; and Drs. Behzad Kordi and Puyan Mojabi (July 2011) joining the Department. I would like to thank our Associate Heads - Drs. Witold Kinsner, Cyrus Shafai, and Douglas Th omson - as well as our academic and support staff for their dedication, enthusiasm, support, and commitment to excellence as we take the ECE department forward.

Dr. Udaya AnnakkageECE Professor and Head


PROGRAMSECE Undergraduate Programs

ECE Graduate Programs

Th e Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) programs at the University of Manitoba prepare students for a career in Engineering by engaging them in studies related to both core and specialty areas. Electrical Engineering and Computer En-gineering students have many courses in common. Courses include math, physics, circuits and electronics, programming, microprocessors, digital systems, economics, engineering law, technical writing, technology and society, and a complemen-tary studies elective in an Arts or Management discipline. Students in both programs have access to the non-compulsory Industry Internship Program (IIP) between their fi nal two years of course work. Most internship students who complete this paid work experience have off ers of full-time employment aft er graduation. In their fi nal year, students participate in a team-based group design project that allows them both the opportunity to put into practice knowledge and skills acquired throughout their program and the exposure to the concepts of team work and project management.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (EE)Students studying EE focus on the following subject areas: dynamics, electric fi elds and circuits, energy conversion and transmission, electronics, materials and devices, communications, control systems, and electromagnetics. Th ey can select from elective courses covering antenna systems, electric power systems, photonic systems, biomedical technologies, micro-electronic fabrication, computer vision, and advanced mathematics. If students wish to specialize in a particular electrical-related fi eld, they have the option of completing one of following four Focus Areas designed to give them a more in-depth exposure to the fi eld: power and energy systems, wireless communication devices, engineering physics, and biomedical.

COMPUTER ENGINEERING (TE)Students studying TE focus on the following subject areas: computer science and programming, circuits and systems, digital logic, discrete mathematics, electronics, microprocessors, microcontrollers, interfacing, data communications, embedded systems, operating systems, soft ware engineering, compiler design, soft ware engineering, digital system design, and telecommunication networks. Th ey can select from elective courses such as communication systems, control systems, computer vision, parallel processing, wireless networks, and advanced Computer Science courses such as computer graph-ics, user interfaces, human-computer interaction, and artifi cial intelligence. If students wish to specialize in a particular computer engineering-related fi eld, they have the option of completing one of following three Focus Areas designed to give them a more in-depth exposure to the fi eld: communication networks, embedded systems, and machine vision.

Th e ECE Department off ers programs leading to the degrees of Master of Engineering, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy. Th e Department has very well equipped research and teaching laboratories, and is home to several Canada and NSERC Research Chair positions. Graduate students may select either a specialized research-oriented activity, an interdis-ciplinary program, or collaboration with industry or research centres in Canada. Th e areas of research in the Department, which are internationally recognized, include: applied electromagnetics, atmospheric optics, biomedical engineering, bio-photonics, communications engineering, computer architecture and soft ware systems, microelectronics, power apparatus and systems, signal processing, systems engineering, and telecommunications.


PROGRAMS

Community Outreach InitiativesTh e ECE Department is involved in a number of educational initiatives that are aimed at engaging the community – es-pecially high school students – in learning about, experimenting with, and experiencing all that the fi eld of electrical and computer engineering has to off er. Th e following are descriptions of a sampling of some such initiatives.

SCHOOL VISITS, WORKSHOPS, & OTHER INITIATIVESTh e ECE Department hosts a number of school groups from all over Manitoba each year to provide students of all ages with tours of our lab facilities and a chance to participate in related activities. ECE undergraduate students go into local high schools to make presentations to help students link information they are learning in school with engineering careers and possibilities aft er graduation. ECE students also participate in special events (such as judging science competitions) and host workshops (such as learning the components of a satellite) for all ages in the school setting. ECE faculty members partner with other Engineering departments and U of M faculties for activities such as Science Rendezvous, the SHArK (Solar Hydrogen Activity Research Kit) Project, and career symposiums.

MANITOBA SPACE ADVENTURE CAMP (MSAC)Th e annual summer MSAC is designed to attract high-school students (grades 9-11) to Engineering and Applied Science. Th e space-related program is very diverse, with emphasis on hands-on experience. Workshops include (i) small rocket building and launching, (ii) large rocket building and launching, (iii) building and testing of small smart robot (each stu-dent takes one home), (iv) high-altitude balloon launching, (v) payload tracking, (vi) computational workshop on satel-lite orbit design, and (vii) fox hunting (triangulation of an illegal transmitter). Many seminars are interspersed among the workshops. Th e students also receive two workshops from the Canadian Space Agency and talk to a Canadian astronaut.

WORKSHOPS FOR TEACHING TEACHERS (TT) & IEEE TEACHERS-IN-SERVICE PROGRAM (TISP)TT workshops were delivered in the past; much eff ort has been dedicated to reviving the activity. Projects focus on design-ing and building technologies such as smart robots, a heart-rate monitor, and an all-season antenna. Th e fi rst project will be delivered in Fall 2011. Additionally, IEEE International has established a new program to help teachers obtain hands-on experience that can be passed on to students through workshops. Th is TISP has been adopted by IEEE Canada. Th e second TISP workshop took place in Toronto in April 2011 where we shared our experience with TT and other outreach activities.

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY (UMARS)UMARS provides a place where undergraduate and high-school students can acquire hands-on experience through its satellite ground station and radio equipment. A course on basic qualifi cation (a required licence) attracted 44 students.

INVOLVEMENT IN THE CANADIAN SATELLITE DESIGN CHALLENGE (CSDC)Th e CSDC commenced in 2010 to design, implement, and test a triple picosatellite (code T-Sat). Th ere are 13 teams in Canada who have joined the competition to successfully launch a satellite in two years. Th e U of M T-Sat team has 80 reg-istered undergraduate and graduate students from various faculties and schools, including Engineering, Science, Business, and Arts. We also have over 50 non-student project advisors, including academic, aerospace, industrial, radio, military, government, and community. Th is unique and multifaceted project is one of the largest undertakings at this university. A new society has been formed to refl ect the complexity of the project and assure its continuity. Th e society is called the Uni-versity of Manitoba Space Applications and Technology Society (UMSATS). Outreach is a required part of UMSATS.

ECE MENTORSHIP FOR HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTSProfessors, assisted by graduate students, will be providing mentoring to high-school students. Discussions are being held with Shaft esbury High School in Winnipeg to develop a program so that participating students could receive credit. Men-torship is also highly eff ective for recruitment as most of the mentored students come to Engineering.


FEATURESThe Ears Have It: Novel Research For Early Onset Dementia Detection

Firm diagnosis of dementia in its various forms – including Alzheimer’s disease and Ménière’s disease – continues to elude medical professionals as there are no standardized tests that have been found to conclusively identify dementia in liv-ing patients. Even an autopsy of an individual’s brain to posthumously diagnose Alzheimer’s, for example, can be subject to a signifi cant margin of error. Dr. Zahra Moussavi of the Biomedical Engineering Group at the University of Manitoba’s Elec-trical and Computer Engineering Department is looking to fi nd ways for dementia to be detected by searching for indicative onset symptoms years before an individual exhibits advanced – and untreatable – signs of the disease. Moussavi explains, “In recent years there has been more awareness to the onset symptoms, and even recent studies are saying that probably the disease starts way before the person even shows any symptoms. Th at is why we are aiming for the onset early detection... before the forgetfulness has started.” To do this, Moussavi has developed two types of indepen-dent parallel approaches to gather research data, looking for congruent results to enable cross validation of the fi ndings.

EVestG: ELECTROVESTIBULOGRAPHYTh e fi rst of these parallel approaches involves the use of the novel EVestG, or electrovestibulography, system; the research is conducted at Winnipeg’s Riverview Health Centre by Dr. Moussavi in collabo-ration with Dr. Brian Blakley from Winnipeg’s Health Science Centre and Dr. Brian Lithgow from Australia’s Monash University, the developer of the EVestG technology. Moussavi describes, “Th e idea behind the technology is that there is a permeative link between our vestibular system [which is responsible for balance] and the mood and emotional parts of the brain [which are factors in de-mentia]. Most of the neurological disorders are associated with dizziness; this technology stimulates [that] vestibular system.” Th e subject sits relaxed and secured in a hydraulic chair; the chair tilts and the researchers record the brainwave responses inside the external ear and the action potential of the ear’s hair cells as modulated through the vestibular system. Seven diff erent stimuli, or tilts, have been recorded. So far, only one tilt has been analysed; Moussavi’s research team is in the process of analysing the remaining tilts in order to compare and contrast the results from each type of tilt. In a pilot study done by Monash University on 40-50 subjects, the results have shown “quite promising classifi cation between bipolar and monopolar depression, to distinguish between Parkinson’s and healthy [individuals], and to distinguish schizophrenia as well as also Ménière’s disease,” Moussavi

shares. Currently, she has been recording results from elderly individuals with no known dementia, elderly at the onset of dementia, and patients with or suspected of Ménière’s disease.

OTHER APPROACHESIn addition to doing research with EVestG, Dr. Moussavi is approaching dementia study through a number of varied psycho-physical experiments that test individuals’ spatial and temporal cognition. Her hypothesis is “that the deterioration of spatial cognition is one of the very early signs of Alzheim-er’s.” Subjects are tested through specifi cally-designed com-puter and video games on pure memory association, verbal fl uency, comprehension, and spatial cognition – all facets of mental cognition. Th ere exist other games that test for these factors but infuse other elements – such as the testing of pe-ripheral vision – that could distract the subject and skew the

Child using game system for spatiotemporal processing


FEATURES

results. Moussavi’s games have been developed to monitor one facet at a time Th e games are designed to both test a sub-ject’s current abilities and strengthen abilities that may be weakening. Moussavi explains, “One of the symptoms of people who have dementia is that the association, the connection between parts of the brain gets damaged... So with these games, the goal is to strengthen the association within diff erent parts of the brain. Th is way, we are fi ghting with the disease.”

THE NEXT STEPSDr. Moussavi is planning a 5-year follow-up study for both types of approaches. She will record the results of the EVestG subjects every six months for the 5-year period, specifi cally monitoring any changes in readings that occur within the time period, as change may indicate a serious or signifi cant sign of dementia developing. For the psycho-physical experi-ments, she will test volunteers over 2-month periods, assessing them for 30 minutes three times each week. Th e individuals involved in this study, ages 50 to 90, will not have been diagnosed with any form of dementia but perhaps have a family history of the disease. Th e hope is that the resulting data will enable both medical professionals and researchers alike to “tease out both the symptoms and signs for dementia, more than is known right now,” says Moussavi. She is eager to test hypotheses regarding the correlation between the deterioration of temporal processing and spatial processing, searching for characteristic features in the ratios – or change in ratios – between these two factors that may ultimately diff erentiate between Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. She also hopes to determine if there are any objective tests that can dis-tinguish between diff erent types of dementia, enabling individuals with specifi c diseases to receive treatment much earlier than is currently possible.

Dr. Zahra Moussavi with a graduate student and an EVestG subject at Riverview Health Centre


FEATURES

Harnessing Waves For Life: On-Going Career Achievements Of Dr. Lotfollah ShafaiMillions of electromagnetic (EM) waves of all shapes and sizes pass through our bodies virtually unnoticed by the majority of the world’s population. However, these EM waves play signifi cant roles in the functioning of the technologies with which we interact each day. Dr. Lotfollah Shafai, Distinguished Applied Electromagnetics Pro-fessor at the University of Manitoba, has devoted his life to researching the proper-ties of EM wave-mater interactions and harnessing the potential of those properties to design and develop novel technologies and processes that will ultimately improve the quality of life of people around the world. He is perhaps most well-known for his revolutionary contribution to communications by way of the miniaturization of the satellite terminal, research begun in the 1970s that has fundamentally changed the way we communicate globally today. Th e original incentive behind developing this technology was to allow direct and accessible communication in areas previously cut off due to their remote location. It was envisioned, for example, that “nurses up north could provide service without sending a doctor there, or tele-education would provide classrooms to those remote areas,” shares Dr. Shafai. Th e technology was designed to be easily portable and installable. It is currently used in all parts of the

world in many capacities, particularly in the fi eld of broadcast journalism, enabling news media broadcasts from even the most isolated areas.

LAMINATED CONDUCTIVE MATERIALSTechnologies such as cell phones and their antennas are becoming increasingly compact yet have the same or increased energy requirements. As a result, large currents at high frequencies cause a large amount of resistive losses as they fl ow over the small conductors, oft en eventually rendering the devices inoperative. Dr. Shafai has developed what he has called laminated conductive materials, a breakthrough idea in which electromagnetic materials and metamaterials can be used to laminate the surfaces of these conductors, maintaining their effi ciency while reducing the resistive losses. Some of the laminate material is already being used in devices in the Electrical and Computer Engineering research labs. Th is on-going research may prove to have far-reaching applications.

ARCTIC SEA ICERecently, Dr. Shafai and his team of researchers have been involved in the extensive project of using EM radar waves to map Arctic sea ice in an eff ort to gain more accurate data than has been collected previously on the eff ects of climate change in the Arctic. In collaboration with Dr. David Barber of the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS) and Dr. Joe LoVetri of the University of Manitoba’s Applied Electromagnetics Group (Electrical and Com-

Graduate students mapping sea ice using radar and measuring the temperature of ice core samples in the Arctic


FEATURES

puter Engineering), Dr. Shafai’s research team travels to the Arctic, uses radar to map the sea ice, and then analyses thinly-sliced core samples of that ice. Shafai explains, “Th ey relate the signal coming from the wave to the type of ice, [and ex-amine the sample] to see whether it is the new ice, old ice, thick ice, thin ice... now the data can be correlated with actual reality.” Th ey are working on ways to model this relationship mathematically and therefore attempt to correlate the signals received with the various types of ice. Th e hope is that the data gathered and analysed will help to improve the accuracy of satellite observations of the ice and its behaviour and changes over time. Th e results may hold signifi cant clues and prove vital to the work of scientists seeking to understand and combat the eff ects of global warming trends.

VIRTUAL ANTENNASA signifi cant research achievement in which Dr. Shafai has been involved is the design of virtual antennas. Th e theory be-hind this design is that through mathematics and signal processing soft ware, received signals from non-existing antennas can be generated by a single existing antenna. Mathematical expressions are used within the soft ware to represent known hardware equivalents that would be present in 2 or more antennas; the diff erences between these numerous antennas are also quantifi ed and input. Th e soft ware then uses this information to derive and generate various missing physical signals through the same piece of hardware. Th is technique has the potential to be applied to multiple design techniques as it uses mathematics to standardize and formalize engineering design for EM devices. It allows for both device miniaturization and performance enhancement, without the additional cost and space for more complex antenna arrays. Technologies that may be impacted include spacecraft , medical imaging, aircraft radar for 3D mapping, and handheld devices such as cell phones. Th e Canadian Department of Defence is currently employing this technique for 3D mapping of the Canadian coastline.

LIFE-TIME ACHIEVEMENTSIn April 2011, Dr. Shafai was awarded the 2011 Killam Prize for Engineering as acknowledgement of the outstanding and signifi cant contributions that he has made – and continues to make – to our global community through his scientifi c research and development. Th e Killam Prize is the most prestigious and distinguished honour that can be bestowed upon a Canadian researcher. Th rough this award he was recognized for his work in a multitude of fi elds of study in a career that has spanned many decades. And yet, though credited with these many achievements, Dr. Shafai would be the fi rst to state that the successes have always been team eff orts in which he has played a shared role. Th e eff ects of his team’s research con-tinue to be felt on a global scale; enhancements in communication and future technology development are allowing people worldwide more connectivity and access to information that has the potential to change the way we understand the world. In his acceptance speech, Shafai said that, “Most of all, I wanted my contributions in science to help improve the quality of life of people around the world,” and improve life they have and will continue to for years to come.

Coated antenna designed for smart antenna applications | Th e anechoic chamber research lab at the University of Manitoba


RESEARCHApplied ElectromagneticsTh e Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Laboratory provides time-domain and ultrawideband instrumentation for EMC measurements and microwave imaging applications. Over $1M in equipment makes up this lab with funding coming from NSERC, Western Economic Diversifi cation (WED), CFI, and industry. In recent years, EMC research has been performed in conjunction with Manitoba Hydro, IMRIS, and Krauss Global. In addition to the biomedical imaging research described in the Biomedical Engineering and Biophotonics section, novel computational electromagnetics (CEM) algorithms and tools are being developed in the applied electromagnetics group. Th e group houses its own 260-node cluster computing facility obtained by a recent CFI grant. Th e CEM research is also benefi ting from the University of Manitoba’s recent development of a high performance computing (HPC) capacity as part of the Canadian Westgrid network. Specifi c research interests in recent years include fast algorithms in computational elec-tromagnetics, modelling of high-speed digital and mixed-signal components, inverse problems, RF-coil design for MRI, and general parallel computing techniques. Members of the group have received substantial funding from CFI, NSERC, MITACS, and DND-DRDC in support of their research.

For a description of current research being conducted in this fi eld by Dr. Lotfollah Shafai, please see pages 8 and 9.

EM: Imaging Group | Plexiglass Vivaldi MWT System BME: Phantom Arm used in spatial cognition research


RESEARCH

Biomedical Engineering & BiophotonicsTh e merger of biology with engineering sciences and the creation of biomedical engineering has brought innovation to the practice of medicine that could only be dreamed about a decade ago. By many accounts, we are now at the outset of the Biomedical Century and the need for engineers trained in biomedicine is greater than ever. Biomedical engineering re-search is interdisciplinary by nature and therefore involves close collaboration with other departments and faculties at the University of Manitoba and associated hospitals. Th e center of our activity, however, is the Biomedical Acoustic and Motor Control Laboratory and Biophotonics Laboratory within the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.

Th e Acoustic and Motor Control Laboratory serves as an instrumentation lab where the new engineering technologies are being developed and tested before they can be moved to hospitals for clinical trials. It is equipped with biological instru-mentation amplifi ers/fi lters, diff erent sensors, and an anechoic chamber, as well as a 7 degrees of freedom (DOF) haptic phantom, a custom built 2DOF robotic arm, an MRI compatible 64 channel EEG recording system, a new custom designed rehabilitation device called the Neuro Stimulator Bike for rehabilitation of spinal cord injuries, and a large network of com-puters. A subset of this lab is our Neurodiagnostic Lab at Riverview Health Center, equipped with Electrovestibulography (EVestG) system dedicated for neurological impairment assessment.

Th e Electromagnetic Imaging Laboratory has been pushing forward in the area of microwave tomography (MWT) for biomedical imaging applications. Th e state-of-the-art laboratory was recently completed, funded by a three year grant from Western Economic Development Canada, as well as various other sources, including NSERC, CFI, and CancerCare Manitoba. Several MWT prototype systems have been developed and the lab has recently completed their fi rst human limb imaging trials. Basic research in MWT includes system design, algorithm development, as well as novel data acquisition and calibration methods. Researchers in the group work with various external collaborators including CancerCare Manito-ba, Element Life Science, and IMRIS, Inc. Recently, the lab was awarded a three year Strategic Projects Grant from NSERC to study methods of improving the accuracy and resolution of the obtained images. Th e lab also works on the design and modelling of MRI RF coils, allowing their use in interoperative imaging applications.

Two major grants from Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada were awarded to develop novel types of nonlinear laser microscopy and high power THz (terahertz) emitters, respectively. Th e group started to work on these projects in a newly renovated laboratory in the Engineering building com-plex.

Th e Biomedical Photonics (Biophotonics) Laboratory houses optical test and measurement equipment, various laser sources, as well as advanced setups for high-resolution nonlinear microscopy, spectroscopy, and optical coherence to-mography of biological samples. Biophotonics is the interaction between biological systems and photons. Th is interaction could involve photon emission, detection, absorption, scattering, or the modifi cation of radiation from biomolecules, cells, tissues, organisms, or biomaterials. Areas of application include medicine, life sciences, agriculture, and environmental sci-ence. In this lab, Dr. Sherif Sherif works on two emerging optical technologies for Biomedical Imaging & Sensing: Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and High Numerical Aperture Fluorescence Microscopy.

Dr. Zahra Moussavi was selected as a Canada Research Chair in Biomedical Engineering in May 2009. She has been work-ing in the fi elds of sleep apnea, acoustical detection of swallowing disorders, and diagnosis and identifi cation of neurologi-cal disorders (see feature in this report for further description of this research). Moussavi has patented a novel technology on sleep apnea screening during wakefulness, which was featured in the Technology Transfer Offi ce newsletter along with her other patented technology in acoustic sleep apnea detection during night. For her other research, she works in col-laboration with Riverview Health Centre, Neural Diagnostics, Ltd. and Monash University in Australia, and the Psychia-try Department at Health Science Centre. Th e grand opening of the EVestG lab for neurological disorder research was in December 2010. A 5-year follow-up program on early detection signs of Alzheimer disease was launched as of Janunary 2011, out of which the EVestG part of the research is functional and the rest of the program - which involves virtual reality psychophysical experiments as well as TMS treatment and cognitive treatment - will become functional in Summer 2011.


RESEARCH

Communication Systems & NetworkingCommunication Systems and Networking represents one of the signifi cant research areas in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) with nationally and internationally recognized research expertise. Research carried out by the Communication Systems and Networking group covers almost every aspect of communication systems, ranging from information theory and signal processing algorithms to enabling technologies for next generation wireless networks.

Recent and ongoing research activities by this group have focused on cognitive (or intelligent) systems, cooperative com-munications, ubiquitous networking, distributed large scale sensor networks, green radio technology for the next gen-eration communication systems, queuing theory-based analysis and design of network codes for enhancing network throughput and reliability, error-resilient speech coding for packet networks, distributed source and channel coding for narrow-band wireless sensor networks, and multi-view video compression motivated by emerging 3D television and related applications. Furthermore, motivated by recent initiatives on sustainable development worldwide, including smart power grids, the research group (in collaboration with ECE’s Power and Energy Systems Research Group) is also active in developing high-speed data communication and networking technology for monitoring, control, and wide-area protection of power systems.


RESEARCH

Computational IntelligenceComputational Intelligence (CI) applies artifi cially intelligent computational methods to address complex problems where traditional methodologies (e.g., fi rst order statis-tical computations) are ineff ective, intractable, or infeasible. Th e University of Mani-toba’s Computational Intelligence Research Group conducts research in a number of areas such as adaptive telegaming, approach nearness and approach merotopological spaces, CI-based image analysis and image processing, evolutionary computation, fuzzy sets, near sets, rough sets, machine learning, neural networks, object recogni-tion, and perception. A description of these CI theories and applications is available at http://wren.ece.umanitoba.ca/. Th e Computational Intelligence Laboratory (CIL) became a Network Centre of Excellence (NCE) in 2009. Th is engages in re-search in the foundations as well as the application of a variety of CI methodologies. Research conducted by CI Laboratory researchers, post doctoral fellows, and graduate students is carried out in cooperation with other researchers in Canada and in more than 20 other countries.

Dr. Wai-Keung Fung’s work on (i) modeling uncertain systems and (ii) the use of fuzzy boundary representation for mo-bile robotics is described here: (i) Dynamic systems are usually modeled by diff erential equations. In order to simulate the system’s behaviour accurately for design, analysis, and control, parameters of its diff erential equation model must be known exactly. However, in reality, it is nearly impossible to obtain exact values of parameters. A fuzzy diff erential equation is a good candidate to capture the uncertainty in the system model by modeling parameters of the diff erential equation model as fuzzy numbers. Effi cient methods have been developed to solve diff erential equations involving fuzzy initial conditions and/or parameters. (ii) Th e project aims at investigating fundamental problems - namely map building, path planning, nav-igation, localization and SLAM - in mobile robotics using the Fuzzy Boundary Representation notion. Environment maps of mobile robots as represented by its boundary representation and sensor uncertainty is captured by fuzzifi ed boundaries of robot environments and obstacles. Both geometrical and topological information can be easily obtained from this repre-sentation. Effi cient solutions are developed based on the common Fuzzy Boundary Representation framework.


RESEARCH

Embedded & Real-Time ComputingAccess to powerful and inexpensive microprocessors and fi eld programmable logic components has resulted in their widespread use in even the most basic of electronic devices. Cellular phones, for example, have been transformed from the simple com-munications devices of a decade ago into powerful, full featured computing plat-forms. Cars use computing technologies to control emissions and monitor engine performance and now sport an army of cooperating microcontrollers and on-board communication networks to deliver a range of features – from the simple control of windows and wipers to sophisticated safety systems, entertainment components, and navigational aids. Research being conducted in the embedded systems area at the University of Manitoba seeks to similarly capitalize on the fl exibility and sophis-tication possible when employing modern processors, communication protocols, and information processing to develop new systems to improve how we look at and interact with the world. Th is work spans a wide variety of projects and applications.

For example, University of Manitoba researchers are applying embedded systems to the eff ective management of water resources and aquatic ecosystems. Electronic wireless sensor networks are being designed and developed to monitor and control precious water resources in Canada. Autonomous wireless sensor nodes will sense water quality factors, such as dissolved oxygen, turbidity, temperature, sediment, and

nutrient content. Data from these sensors is sent wirelessly over the internet to scientists’ offi ce computers or PDA for real-time analysis. Th e application of the electronic sensor network is a state-of-the-art and innovative method to monitor water quality and to perform ecosystem-related research. Th e embedded system focuses on improving the method by which bodies of water are monitored to better understand water problems and the eff ects on the related ecosystem, and then on enabling informed and scientifi c proactive and reactive management plans. Improved scientifi c understanding, via the sys-tem, may also provide signifi cant commercialization opportunities and economic benefi ts for Canadians through increased tourism opportunities and international consulting on water quality matters.

In addition, research is being conducted in the control of robotic systems from remote locations over internet-style com-munication networks. Done in collaboration with the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, this work compares the performance of various common bilateral control schemes for real-time teleoperation systems using hydraulic actuators under diff erent network quality refl ected by network delay, packet loss, and so on. Hydraulic actuators are highly nonlinear systems with long actuator delay and have been widely applied in heavy industry involving hazardous environments. An experimental test rig has been developed that consists of a PHANToM 6DOF haptic device as the master device, a 1 DOF hydraulic actuator controlled by an electro-hydraulic servo valve as the slave manipulator, and a network emulator to simulate varying levels of connection quality between the master device and slave manipulator. Th is set-up allows for a comparison of the performance of bilateral control schemes based on position tracking error, force tracking error, and perceived stiff ness of the environments under the infl uence of diff erent task environments and network quality. Using an NS-2 simulator, realistic network models can be simulated between the master and slave sites in teleoperation.

Finally, research is being conducted in the collection and processing of data obtained from civil infrastructure through arrays of embedded sensors – a practice known as structural health monitoring (SHM). SHM systems collect and examine large quantities of measurements from bridges and buildings. Th is data is then used to assess the performance of these structures and improve their safety and usability. Work being conducted focuses on automating SHM data collection and processing in order to improve techniques for infrastructure assessment. Th is activity not only assists the owners of the structures in managing them more eff ectively, but it also improves their usability by the public by helping to extend the service life of structures and provide a means to evaluate new construction methods and materials. An important aspect of this is guaranteeing the long-term viability of data collected from structures over many years. Understanding how the measurement systems perform over the long-term is critical in comparing present-day measurements to historical data.


RESEARCH

Nano Systems Fabrication Laboratory (NSFL)Th e Nano Systems Fabrication Laboratory (NSFL) is an open-access cleanroom micromachining lab established to provide nano-system research, development, and prototyping to university and industry researchers. As a central facility, the NSFL links multidisciplinary researchers from many university departments. Th is 4000 sq. ft . laboratory possess over $4 million of nanofabrication infrastructure, providing a comprehensive suite of state-of-the-art equipment and soft ware for MEMS fabrication, analysis, and testing. Th e NSFL has assisted many research groups from across the U of M campus as well as several outside industry and organizations. Over 160 professors and students (ranging from high school to Ph.D. level) have used the NSFL. Th e NSFL’s signifi cant impact to U of M research has been made possible by it being a fully open-access facility. Th is means any U of M researcher can access any infrastructure in NSFL aft er receiving specifi ed training.

Dr. Greg Bridges’ current research focuses on developing wireless embeddable sensors for remote pH and temperature monitoring in chemical and biological applications; working on integrated microfl uidic-high frequency electronic sensors for detecting nanoparticles in biofl uidic suspension and measuring the dielectric properties; studying the application of nanosecond pulsed fi elds in single cell spectroscopy and electroporation; developing Maxwell’s equation based formulas for the parameters used in modeling transients on underground cables; and studying the theoretical limits of abnormal wave propagation in negative refractive index media and developing experimental demonstration of this.

Dr. Douglas Buchanan is continuing research in fabrication and investigation of Hf-based thin fi lm materials for nanoelec-tronic devices, materials and devices for advanced silicon-based technologies, microfl uidics systems in silicon for lab-on-a-chip applications, and olfactory sensor design and integration. He also served a one-year term as the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering starting in July 2010.

Dr. Derek Oliver has been researching electrical characteristics of semiconducting microwire/conducting polymer junc-tions for a solar water-splitting device to produce hydrogen; the development of tunable microwave photonic bandgap material; and surface acoustic wave interference patterns using dynamic spm.

Dr. Cyrus Shafai’s research work explores micromachined electric fi eld sensors for measuring dc and ac fi elds around high voltage power lines for environmental monitoring; polymer-based gas sensors for detecting and identifying emitted gases from spoiling grain, to detect fungus and insect infestation (research done in collaboration with Drs. Douglas Th omson, Michael Freund – Chemistry, and Digvir Jayas – Biosystems); MEMS-based frequency selective surfaces for adaptive an-tenna systems; and micro-fl uidic cooling systems and their optimal design for transient thermal control.

Dr. Douglas Th omson has been working on novel passive wireless sensors for power line and corrosion monitoring. Th rough his research, he has demonstrated a new electronic markerless diagnostic approach for single cell analysis.


RESEARCH

Power & Energy SystemsTh e University of Manitoba has a strong, internationally-renowned Power Energy Systems and High Voltage Research Group. Th e Group has 5 full-time academic faculty members, 7 adjunct professors from industry, and 4 Professor Emeriti. It embodies expertise in the areas of power system transients simulation, power electronics applications in power systems, power system stability and control, security assessment, operation of restructured power systems, alternate energy, power systems protection, electric vehicles, and high voltage engineering. Th e group also includes 2 post-doctoral fellows and 40 graduate students. Th e group has excellent research facilities, including a large simulation laboratory with several real-time simulators and state-of-the art simulation soft ware, an energy systems laboratory, a power system protection laboratory, an electric vehicle research facility, and a high voltage laboratory with a 1.4 MV impulse generator. Th e group interacts with several local industry partners; this industrial collaboration has contributed to the development of several advanced tools used worldwide, such as the PSCAD/EMTDC simulation program from the Manitoba HVDC Research Centre and the world’s fi rst real time digital simulator from RTDS Technologies Inc. Th is collaboration has also resulted in the establish-ment in 2004 of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Industrial Research Chair

in Power Systems Simulation. Professor Ani Gole, who has made major contributions to the development of PSCAD/EMTDC, is the current Chairholder. Jointly, the group has an annual research budget of approximately $1 million.

Dr. Udaya Annakkage and his research students developed a novel approach to investigate potential sub-synchronous reso-nance problems in power system networks. Th eir new method, which is based on the concept of dynamic phasors, overcomes the bandwidth limitation of existing commercial tools. It accurately extracts the structural information of the power system and uses it to identify sub-synchronous resonance problems and to design controllers to mitigate them.

Dr. Shaahin Filizadeh and his students conduct research in the simulation and design of power-electronic intensive systems, such as electric motor drives, high-power electronic compensators, and hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicular power-trains. Th eir major achievements include development of a real-time hardware-in-loop (HIL) simulation facility for optimization of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and design and construction of an electric drive for a plug-in all-terrain vehicle (ATV).

Dr. Aniruddha Gole, together with his industrial partners and research students, developed new simulation approaches for power systems, including models for multi-level modular converters which are orders of magnitude faster than existing approaches, new techniques for real-time electromagnetic simulation of very large power networks, and new methods for studying multi-infeed HVDC transmission systems. In collaboration with Dr. Filizadeh, the team developed new simula-tion-based optimization and statistical analysis tools. Th e majority of this research has been incorporated into commercial study tools and international guides and standards.

Dr. Behzad Kordi’s research is focused on remote and online condition monitoring of high voltage apparatus including transmission lines, insulators, and transformers. He and his students are developing techniques for remote measurement and classifi cation techniques for detection of partial discharges in high voltage systems. He is also involved with research work on the modelling of power overhead transmission lines and underground cables.

Dr. Athula Rajapakse recently developed a transient rotor angle stability detection algorithm using post-fault voltage tra-jectories. Th is algorithm employs synchronized phasor measurements collected using Phasor Measurement Units (PMU). Th e method is being further explored to develop eff ective load shedding schemes.


RESEARCH

Advanced RF SystemsTh e Advanced RF Systems Laboratory (ARFSL) provides engineering design and test services to Canadian researchers in the fi elds of radio frequency systems (RF), wireless sensors, microwave/millimetre-wave integrated circuits, microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS), and microfl uidic circuits. Th e ARFSL is one of four labs of the National Microelectronics and Photonics Testing Collaboratory (NMPTC). Th e labs were funded by a $23M grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Manitoba Research and Innovation Fund (MRIF). Access to the lab is managed by CMC Micro-systems, and as a national resource it brings world-class test capability and expertise to microsystems researchers across the country.

Th e primary purpose of the ARFSL is to support clients in the test and verifi cation of their fabricated designs. Th e lab is equipped to fully test packaged devices or integrated circuits on wafer using a semi automatic probe station. Th e second-ary purpose of the lab is to provide training in RF testing, fi xturing, and troubleshooting. Training modules developed in the ARFSL provide clients with a hands-on experience learning standard RF test and characterization procedures with the instruction and guidance of a dedicated engineer. Th e outcome goal is to provide Canadian industry with trained and qualifi ed personnel.

Th e ARFSL is equipped to test components from DC to 110GHz for most standard characterizations including non linear, noise, and thermal analysis (-60 to +200 C), and for devices on wafer or individual die. In addition, the ARFSL off ers mill-ing services for rapid prototyping and can prototype custom designs for RF and microwave applications. Since the lab’s in-ception in 2005, more than 6500 hours of tests have been performed for nearly 200 researchers from 22 diff erent academic institutions and industries across Canada.


RESEARCH

Signal & Imaging ProcessingFundamental and applied research projects have been conducted in several emerging areas of image analysis, pattern rec-ognition, and signal processing. Ongoing research activities concern studies of: (i) large scale pattern recognition problems with constrains on data sparsity using support vector machines and boosting algorithms; (ii) statistical aspects of image invariants with applications to confocal microscopy and robust watermarking systems; (iii) nonparametric statistical meth-ods for nonlinear image fi ltering and edge-preserved reconstruction; (iv) nonparametric and semiparametric inference for block-oriented nonlinear systems including additive and Wiener models; (v) signal sampling theorems in the presence of noise, data sparsity and the lack of band-limitness; (vi) synthetic aperture focusing; (vii) signal processing algorithm accel-eration based on GPU parallel processing; and (viii) ultrasound imaging for non destructive testing. Collaborative research projects with groups in France, Germany, UK, USA, and Poland have been conducted.

Electrical discharge in the High Voltage Engineering research and teaching laboratory (Photo by Allan McKay)

PUBLICATIONSA report of 2009-to-present publications for all ECE faculty members can be found at: www.ece.umanitoba.ca/reports


STUDENT AWARDSUndergraduate Student AwardsPROGRAM MEDALS & PRIZESDennis Lu Program Medal in Electrical Engineering 2009Linda Haidar Program Medal in Computer Engineering 2009Dennis Lu J.H. Schumacher Memorial Prize in Engineering 2009David J. Weber University Gold Medal in Engineering 2010David J. Weber Program Medal in Electrical Engineering 2010Victor Lam Program Medal in Computer Engineering 2010Adam P. Smaluck J.H. Schumacher Memorial Prize in Engineering 2010 (Tie)Bo Zhou J.H. Schumacher Memorial Prize in Engineering 2010 (Tie)

IEEE WINNIPEG SECTION UNDERGRADUATE DESIGN AWARDS“A Working Digital Th eremin” (1st Prize - 2009) Timothy Cabel & Erik Tonsaker | Advisor: Dr. Derek Oliver“Visual Network Monitoring System” (2nd Prize - 2009) Michael Seft on & Lukas Wijono | Advisors: Dr. Robert McLeod & Paul Card (TRLabs)“Robotic Electric Field Vector Mapping for Leak Detection on Building Roofs” (3rd Prize - 2009) Geoff rey Chen, Stephen Liao, & Ryan Ramchandar | Advisors: Dr. Wai‐Keung Fung & Dr. Gamal Mustapha (SMT Research Ltd.)“Agent-Based Model Synthesized Contact Graphs for Use in Disease Control” (1st Prize - 2010) Bryan Demianyk & Dustin Sandison | Advisor: Dr. Robert McLeod“Design of Robust Wireless Magnetic Field Sensor to Improve Interventional MRI Workfl ow and Safety” (2nd Prize - 2010) Kirk Champagne, Timothy Hoeppner, & David Weber | Advisor: Dr. Greg Bridges“A Microcontroller Based Guitar Trainer with Graphical User Interface” (3rd Prize - 2010) Th eodore Janke, Mandeep Saini, & Christopher Sararas | Advisor: Dr. Douglas Buchanan

IEEE TED GLASS AWARD“Design and Implementation of an Automotive Sensor and Actuator Network for the Formula SAE 2010 Vehicle” (2010) John Hughes & Michael Jean | Advisor: Dr. Witold Kinsner

MANITOBA HYDRO CAPSTONE DESIGN PROJECT PRIZE“Transmission Line Current-Control for Ice-Melting Applications” (2009) Bryce Miller, Eric Wickstrom, & Michael Zarnowski | Advisors: Dr. Aniruddha Gole & Jules Gareau (MB Hydro)“Design and Tuning of A Power System Stabilizer” (2010) Chun Fang & Onyinyechi Nzimako | Advisors: Dr. Shaahin Filizadeh & Dr. In Kwon Park (RTDS)

OTHER AWARDS• Geoff rey Chen, Stephen Liao, and Ryan Ramchandar were awarded the 5th Prize Award in the IEEE-sponsored “2009 International Student Experimental Hands-on Project Competition via Internet on Intelligent Mechatronics and Automa-tion” for the project titled “Autonomous Electric Field Vector Mapping for Leak Detection on Building Roofs” in December 2009. Th e project was based on their 2008-2009 Group Design Project, co-advised by Mr. Gamal Mustapha (SMT Re-search Ltd.) and Dr. Wai-Keung Fung (ECE University of Manitoba).


STUDENT AWARDS

Graduate Student AwardsAWARDS & PRIZES

• Michael J. A. Potter (Ph.D. student) received the Canadian Governor General’s Award Academic Gold Medal in 2009. | Advisor: Dr. Witold Kinsner

• Sharmistha Bhadra (Ph.D. student) won the “2010 Strategic Microelectronics Council ITAC Industrial Collaboration Award” at the CMC Microsystems Annual Symposium and Texpo student competition in Ottawa, Ontario in October 2010. Th is award is given for research that produced substantive results with commercial potential and is for the purposes of furthering the student’s research and conference travel. | Advisor: Dr. Greg Bridges

• Arezoo Emadi (Ph.D. student) won 2nd place Honourable mention, “2010 Strategic Microelectronics Council ITAC Industrial Collaboration Award,” for research that produced substantive results with commercial potential. Sharmistha (above) won 1st place. | Advisors: Dr. Cyrus Shafai & Dr. Douglas Th omson

• Suresh Neethirajan (Ph.D. student) won the Armand Blanc Prize at the CIGR 2010 World Congress of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Suresh also won the 2010 NSERC Innovation Challenge Award. | Advisors: Dr. Cyrus Shafai & Dr. Douglas Th omson

•Dusit Niyato, Ekram Hossain, and Zhu Han won the Fred W. Ellersick Prize - given annually to the best article published in a Communications Society magazine in the previous 3 calendar years - for their paper, “Dynamic Spectrum Access in IEEE 802.22-Based Cognitive Wireless Networks: A Game Th eoretic Model for Competitive Spectrum Bidding and Pric-ing” (IEEE Wireless Communications Magazine, Vol. 16, No 2, pp 16-23, April 2009).

•Dennis A. Woodford Prize: Th is prize - established with an initial gift from Mr. Dennis A. Woodford and additional funds from Winnipeg engineering fi rms - is off ered to a student who has completed all requirements for a Master’s or Ph.D. de-gree in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.8 in their graduate program, and submits the most outstanding graduate thesis dealing with power system modelling and simulation. Th e winners were as follows:

2009 Jeewantha De Silva | Advisor: Dr. Aniruddha Gole 2010 Xi Lin (Ph.D. student) | Advisor: Dr. Aniruddha Gole


FACULTY

Ken FerensAssistant Professor

Research Interests: Wireless sensor & mo-bile ad hoc networks, delay and disruption tolerant networks, reconfi gurable comput-ing, computationally intelligent machines, microprocessing systems, microcontrollers

Shaahin FilizadehAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Power systems transient simulation, power electronics, hybrid and electric vehicles, and electric motor drives

Wai-Keung FungAssistant Professor

Research Interests: Intelligent robotics, networked robotics and real-time bilateral teleoperation, computational intelligence, human-machine interaction, and aug-mented reality

Aniruddha GoleDistinguished Professor

Research Interests: Power systems simula-tion, power electronic applications in en-ergy networks, electromagnetic transients simulation, HVDC control systems, and HVDC stability analysis

Witold KinsnerProfessorAssociate Head (Comp. Eng.)

Research Interests: Robust real-time com-puting engines, multiscale signal/image processing, digital communication sys-tems, and space/biomedical applications

Ekram HossainProfessor

Research Interests: Resource management and multiple access in wireless and mobile communication networks, and cognitive radio systems

Behzad KordiAssistant Professor

Research Interests: High voltage engineer-ing, condition monitoring of high voltage apparatus, transmission lines, lightning studies, and electromagnetic compatibility in power systems

Joe LoVetriProfessor

Research Interests: Microwave tomography, computational electromagnetics, electro-magnetic compatibility and interference, RADAR identifi cation/imaging, and mag-netic resonance imaging

Arkady MajorAssistant Professor

Research Interests: Development and ap-plication of advanced laser sources and techniques for high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy of biological and other systems

Attahiru AlfaProfessor

Research Interests: Performance analysis of communication systems, stochastic model-ling of communication systems, queueing theory, and network theory

Udaya AnnakkageProfessorDepartment Head

Research Interests: Power system stabil-ity and control, security assessment and control, operation of deregulated power systems, and power system simulation

Greg BridgesProfessor

Research Interests: Computational elec-tromagnetics, wave interactions with transmission lines, bio-microfl uidics, RF sensors, and high-frequency applications of nanoprobe-based instrumentation

Douglas BuchananProfessor

Research Interests: CMOS silicon technolo-gy, including device design, basic material and device physics; chemical sensors, mi-crofl uidics, and MEMs based ultra-sonic transducers and sensors

Jun CaiAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Communication networking for sustainable development, energy effi cient communications, cognitive radio networks, cooperative communica-tions, and radio resource management

Ioan CiricProfessor

Research Interests: Scattering and diff rac-tion, transients, inverse problems, levita-tion, fi elds in the presence of moving media, fi eld theory of electromagnetic devices, and corona phenomena


FACULTY

Derek OliverAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Nanoscale electrical characterization of materials, voltage sen-sor development for safe maintenance, and condition monitoring of power equipment

Mirek PawlakProfessor

Research Interests: Statistical signal pro-cessing, sampling, recovery, nonlinear modeling; pattern classifi cation from miss-ing/distorted data, algorithms, problems; image analysis - description, recognition

Vladimir OkhmatovskiAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Computational elec-tromagnetics with emphasis on fast algorithms, modeling of RF/microwave components, digital signal integrity, EMI/EMC, and parallel computing

Athula RajapakseAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Power system protec-tion; wide area monitoring, protection and control of power systems using Synchro-phasors; microgrids and renewable energy integration

Cyrus ShafaiProfessorAssociate Head (Elec. Eng.)

Research Interests: RF MEMS, micro-sensors, micro-actuators, applied micro-machining, microfl uidics for IC thermal management, and process simulation

James PetersProfessor

Research Interests: Merotopology, sets, pattern recognition and analysis, detect-ing anomalies in power equipment, traffi c monitoring, detecting camoufl aged ob-jects, computer vision, intelligent systems

Sherif SherifAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Biophotonics, optical coherence tomography, optical & fl uores-cence microscopy, computational imaging, digital image restoration, statistical signal processing, laser spectroscopy, tissue optics

Gabriel Th omasAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Digital signal and image analysis, synthetic aperture focusing, and ultrasound non destructive testing

Lotfollah ShafaiDistinguished Professor

Research Interests: Applied electromagnet-ics, antenna and array theory and design, sensors, computational EM, HF transmis-sion lines, microwave circuits, RF circuit testing, microwave measurements

Pradeepa YahampathAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Source and channel cod-ing, information theory, statistical signalprocessing for communications, and mutli-media signal processing

Blair YoshidaInstructor

Fields of Instruction: Introduction to Elec-trical and Computer Engineering, digital logic, electric circuits, digital systems, con-trol systems, and fi nal-year group design project

Douglas Th omsonProfessorAssociate Head (Grad. St.)

Research Interests: Electronic systems for miniaturized materials analysis, passive wireless systems, and microwave frequency biomaterials analysis in microfl uidics

Robert McLeodProfessor

Research Interests: Agent-based modeling of complex dynamical social systems as applied to healthcare or public health

Dean McNeillAssociate Professor

Research Interests: Embedded systems, structural health monitoring, adaptive signal processing, and real-time and ubiq-uitous computing

Zahra MoussaviProfessor

Research Interests: Application of signal processing techniques in acoustical ob-structive sleep apnea detection, swallowing disorders, human brain’s spatiotemporal processing and vestibular system’s response


STAFFECE Department Adjunct Professors

Administrative Staff

Technical Staff & Associates

Amy Dario Graduate ProgramsElenor Friesen Industry Internship Program CoordinatorShelly Girardin Offi ce AssistantTraci Hofer Offi ce AssistantShari Klassen Departmental Promotions CoordinatorCharlotte Leferink Undergraduate ProgramsJudy Noble Administrative Assistant

Ken Biegun NT Laboratory NetworkDaniel Card, P.Eng Engineer-in-Residence (Design Engineering)Dwayne Chrusch Nanofabrication Laboratory ManagerJames Dietrich CMC National Microelectronics and Photonics Testing CollaboratoryErwin Dirks Power Systems GroupDaryl Hamelin High Voltage Laboratory, Nanofabrication LaboratorySinisa Janjic Electrical ShopGuy Jonatschick Network AdministratorAllan McKay Chief TechnologistMount-First Ng Electrical TechnologistCory Smit Machine ShopAllen Symmons Machine ShopBrad Tabachnick Applied Electromagnetics LaboratoryZoran Trajkoski Electromagnetics Imaging Laboratory

Hansjorg (Jacky) BaltesMohamed Atef BarakatRichard BaumgartnerChristopher BowmanSergio CamorlingaPaul CardDouglas G. ChapmanBong Dae ChoiTrent CoroyJeff rey E. Diamond

Research Chair PositionsAttahiru Alfa NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Teletraffi c Demand Forecasting and Performance Analysis of Wireless/Mobile Communication SystemsDouglas Buchanan Canadian Research Chair in Microelectronic MaterialsJun Cai Associate NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Teletraffi c Demand Forecasting and Performance Analysis of Wireless/Mobile Communication SystemsAniruddha Gole NSERC/Manitoba Hydro/Manitoba HVDC Research Centre/RTDS Technologies/Teshmont Consultants Industrial Research Chair in Power Systems SimulationDean McNeill Canada Research Chair in Information Processing for Intelligent InfrastructureZahra Moussavi Canada Research Chair in Biomedical EngineeringLotfollah Shafai Canada Research Chair in Applied Electromagnetics

Reza Fazel-RezaiIoni FernandoMichael FreundMarcia FriesenDavid JacobsonRohitha JayasingheRajesh KarkiScott KingPrahba Kundur

Simon K. LiaoBrian LithgowTrevor L. MaguireSharmir MukhiHa NguyenSima NoghanianHans PasterkampNicolino PizziAbdel Sebak

Hacene SerraiDavid SwatekAnthony SzturmBoguslaw TomanekHilmi M. TuranliPhilip UngerMartin WedepohlDennis WoodfordWaldemar Ziomek

Department of Electrical & Computer EngineeringUniversity of ManitobaE2-390 EITC Building75 Chancellor’s CircleWinnipeg, MB R3T 5V6 CANADA+1 204 474-9603 (p) | 204 261-4639 (f)[email protected] | www.ece.umanitoba.ca

2009 & 2010 biennial report - 1 - university of manitoba

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