ECE Research
- Communications, Networks and Internet-of-Things (loT)
Dr. John O'Hara
Dr. Pejman Ghasemzadeh
Dr. Shahriar ShahabuddinProfile
Communication systems permeate all facets of everyday life and are, in a sense, the nervous system that binds together society. Examples of these communications systems include, but not limited to, cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, near field communications (NFC), satellite communications, fiber optics communication, laser communications and visible light communications. Aspects of communication theory, networking and signal processing are used to improve the throughput, robustness, coverage and reliability of communication links and network performance.
The research carried out by the Communication, Network and IoTs Group focuses on the key enabling technologies needed for designing and implementing future communication systems. This research thrust is focused on the analysis and design of backbone networks, including secure communications protocols and reliable links. Through 5G and beyond communication technologies, the Communications group works on building blocks of “Smart and Connected Communities”. Particular topics of current interest include cognitive radio systems (also known as software defined radio), visible light sensing and communications, millimeter- and terahertz-wave communication, Internet of Things (IoT) applications, UAV-assisted (unmanned aerial vehicle) wireless systems, and satellite communications.
- Electromagnetic Wave Propagation and Systems
Dr. Chuck Bunting
Dr. Syed JehangirDr. James (Jim) West (Emeritus)
Dr. Jeffrey Young
Profile
Radio and microwave frequency electromagnetic energy is used in numerous existing and developing technologies, such as wireless communications, radar detection and imaging, navigation, RFID, environmental sensing, and medical sensing and treatment. As new applications are developed, specialized antenna, guiding, shielding, and other structures must be implemented that are optimized for the specified use. With more and more systems relying on wireless technologies, interference between them must be understood and mitigated. Practicing engineers in RF and microwave technologies not only analyze electromagnetic radiation, propagation, and scattering, but also apply advanced statistical and signal processing techniques to design systems that will perform accurately and reliably in various different physical environments.
The Robust Electromagnetic Field Testing and Simulation (REFTAS) Laboratory is a leader in the field of applied RF and electromagnetic frequency research. Recent projects have characterized the random electromagnetic environments in avionics bays, beneath rocket launch fairings, and below ship decks. Projects also have included airborne measurement and analysis of navigation signals, design and implementation of antenna and RFID systems, investigation of radar scattering from rough surfaces and other structures, and development of radar image processing techniques.
- Energy and Power
Dr. Hamidreza Nazaripouya
Dr. Ying ZhangProfile
Energy and Power research lies in the broad area of power systems and power electronics. Power systems research is conducted in the areas of the modeling, computing, planning, operation and analysis of electric generation, transmission, distribution, and microgrid systems, electricity markets, and smart grids that accommodate of renewable energy resources, energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and responsive load. Power Electronics research is conducted in the areas of modeling and control of power electronic converters, grid forming and grid following inverters, Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices, and smart inverters. The faculty members are also interested in the applications of control, optimization, data analytics, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) in power systems.
- Image Formation, Signal Processing and Machine Vision
Dr. Qi Cheng
Dr. Guoliang Fan
Dr. Daqing Piao
Dr. Keith Teague (Emeritus)
Vacant Research Associate and Research Assistant Positions with Dr. Qi Cheng
Vacant GRA Position for Dr. Daqing Piao's Lab in Spring 2025Profile
The prevalence of various data and signal processing technologies and high performance computing hardware has enabled the ability to mathematically manipulate data which has formerly relied on the brain for processing such as speech, audio, images, and video, focuses on fundamental theory and applications to real-world problems. Imaging, machine vision and signal processing touch a large variety of engineering problems, from communication to human-computer interface, to medical imaging and multimedia. Image formation and machine vision applications include virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), human-computer interaction (HCI), and medical imaging such as X-rays, CT-scan, video surveillance, instrumentation and measurement applications, and autonomous (unmanned) vehicles, while signal processing algorithms are widely applied in radar, sonar, sensor arrays, audio and speech processing, and communication systems (statistical signal processing).
Research in this area includes three main thrusts (1) Signal processing: audio compression, speech recognition, speech synthesis, language identification, statistical signal processing, and wireless communication systems; (2) Image formation and processing: image compression, image enhancement, and medical image formation and analysis; and (3) machine vision: 3D indoor modeling, semantic scene understanding, markerless motion capture and human pose estimation.
- Intelligent Control Systems and Robotics
Dr. Weihua Sheng
Dr. Gary Yen
Dr. Martin Hagan (Emeritus)
Profile
Control systems are a key enabling technology for the functionality and safety of many critical applications such as transportation systems, manufacturing systems, medical devices, networked embedded systems and robots. The design of today's complex control systems calls for an interdisciplinary approach that involves electrical, chemical, mechanical and aerospace engineering, as well as biology, computer science, and economics. Intelligent robots, a classic example of a control system, have a wide spectrum of applications and have been attracting growing interest from both academia and industry.
OSU has a strong interdisciplinary program in control systems engineering. Collaborations in the program are with Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Current research projects focus on predicting impending failures in complex interrelated structures, using assessment tools based on emerging neural network and fuzzy logic technology. Additional work involves neural network based intelligent controllers capable of self-optimization, on-line adaptation and autonomous fault detection and controller reconfiguration. Research in robotics mainly focuses on mobile robot control, autonomous vehicles, social robots and human-robot interaction.
- Photonics and Electro-Optics
Dr. John O'Hara
Dr. Daqing Piao
Dr. Weili Zhang
Vacant GRA Position for Dr. Daqing Piao's Lab in Spring 2025Profile
“Photonics” and “Electro-Optics” are not the most familiar words in society today, but photonic and electro-optic systems are very familiar to everyone. Such systems touch every aspect of our lives, from atmospheric imaging and advanced weather prediction, to solar power and solid-state lighting, to high-speed fiber-optical communication, to the latest technologies in laser-based health care and manufacturing. The primary research goal is to create the next generation of light-based or light-like technologies with a particular emphasis on experimental bio-photonics and terahertz research.
The Photonics and Electro-Optics group at OSU-ECE researches the creation and analysis of next- generation optical and hybrid optical/electronic systems, with emphasis on bio-photonics, terahertz, and novel artificial materials for the manipulation of light. OSU bio-photonics researchers are using light or light-like electromagnetic radiation to advance non-invasive and minimally-invasive medical diagnostics and treatment procedures. OSU terahertz researchers are finding new ways to utilize the terahertz frequency band for 6G communications, machine-vision/imaging, and remote chemical sensing. OSU materials scientists are using ultrafast lasers to study and create new devices with fantastic properties such as non-reciprocal antennas, optical diodes, and plasmonic switches.
- Solid State Electronics and Systems
Dr. John Hu
ProfileOver decades the field of signal electronics has significantly evolved with aggressive scaling, innovative technologies, and emerging applications. Technologies such as millimeter-wave security scanners, 5G/6G communications, automotive radars, internet of things, and CubeSat data networks have become a critical part of our lives. However, this new environment has imposed stringent circuit requirements of faster speed, wider bandwidth, higher frequency, lower power consumption, higher resolution, and so on. In order to meet these requirements, designers need to not only understand principles of circuit theory, semiconductor physics, signal processing, digital design, microwave engineering, optics, but also incorporate interdisciplinary ideas (chemistry, biology, mechanical and aerospace engineering, to name a few) into their design.
The Solid-State Electronics Group at OSU actively investigates the following main research areas: analog/mixed signal design, RF/microwave circuits and systems, terahertz sensing/communication, and extreme-environment electronics. The primary research thrust is to enable new systems and applications by designing innovative integrated circuits (ICs) using silicon, compound, or hybrid technologies.
- Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI), Computer Architecture and Embedded Systems
Dr. Hritom Das
Dr. John Hu
Dr. Shahriar ShahabuddinDr. Weihua Sheng
Dr. James Stine
Profile
The revolution in communications and information technology has been enabled by semiconductor industry’s ability to manufacture integrated circuits (IC) containing millions of transistors with high reliability. Research in VLSI typically includes mixed-signal communications, digital control systems, VLSI computer architectures, and digital circuit and system design. While systems become smaller and smaller, more capabilities are being put directly onto a silicon wafer. Moreover, existing designs require excessive design costs to achieve the power, area, and performance requirements of complex system-on-chip (SoC) solutions, thus making current designs challenging and exciting. Technologies in VLSI and computer architecture allow us to manufacture power-efficient but powerful microcontrollers for a wide spectrum of embedded systems ranging from wearable devices and smart TVs, to intelligent robots and autonomous vehicles. Research in embedded systems focuses on the design, implementation and test of microcontroller-based systems for many real-world applications.
Research in VLSI, Computer Architecture and Embedded Systems at OSU consists of four main areas of concentration: a) Theoretical computer architecture in search of new paradigms and instruction set architectures for application-specific and general-purpose computing, b) System-on-Chip design for application-specific areas in signal processing, communication, security, high-frequency electronics, and artificial intelligence, c) Computer arithmetic algorithms and their associated implementations related to the application and evolution of targeted optimized computation, d) wearable computing, edge computing and hardware implementation of machine learning algorithms.
Active Grants Awarded to ECE: $7,588,036.94
CAREER: Taming the Terahertz for 6G Wireless Backhaul REU Supplement
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $16,000
Dr. John O'Hara
Peanut Warehouse Early Fire Detection Sensor and System Development
Sponsor: University of Texas at Arlington for United States Department of Agriculture | $45,000
Dr. Hyusim Park
USDA-REEU Research and Extension Rural Scholars
Sponsor: United States Department of Agriculture | $5,387
Dr. Hamidreza Nazaripouya
Integrated Microgrid and Water Systems: Advanced Modeling for Climate-Resilient Communities
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $54,998
Dr. Hantao Cui
Developing a Smart Virtual Assistant-Enabled Sewer Asset management Tool
Sponsor: InfraTie Solutions, LLC for Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology | $37,858
Dr. Weihua Sheng
CAREER: Multi-Timescale Dynamics Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis of Converter-Dominated Power Systems
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $394,768
Dr. Hantao Cui
Great Plains Center of Excellence (GPCoE) at the Oklahoma State University Industrial Assessment Center
Sponsor: Department of Energy | $5,210
Dr. Hamidreza Nazaripouya
CAREER: Taming the Terahertz for 6G Wireless Backhaul
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $500,002
Dr. John O'Hara
Circuit Design and Simulation Support for Specialized Unique Circuitry
Sponsor: Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific | $111,442
Dr. Chris Hutchens and Dr. John Hu
Super-Resolution focusing of terahertz plasmonic surface waves-REU Supplement
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $8,000
Dr. Weili Zhang
PFI: TT: An Intelligent Homecare System to Assist Older Adults Who Age in Place
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $185,220
Dr. Weihua Sheng
An Individual Investigator Development Plan to Improve Undergraduate Debugging Skills and Mindset
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $239,218
Dr. John Hu
Collaborative Research: CyberTraining: Pilot: PowerCyber: Computational Training for Power Engineering Researchers
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $180,000
Dr. Hantao Cui
RET Site: Chip Design Experiences for Teachers to Stimulate Semiconductor Education in Oklahoma
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $501,930
Dr. John Hu and Dr. James Stine
Development of a Low-Cost Instrument Landing System Calibration Platform
Sponsor: Jump Aero Inc. | $63,397
Dr. James West and Dr. Chuck Bunting
CPS: Medium: Cooperative Driving in Heterogeneous Traffic of Manned and Unmanned Vehicles
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $347,742
Dr. Weihua Sheng
HyperTran: High-Performance Transient Stability Simulation of Power Systems on Modern Parallel Computing Hardware
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $320,000
Dr. Hantao Cui
RAFT: Rapid Assured Fully Transparent IC Physical Design Capability
Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $1,200,000
Dr. James Stine and Dr. John Hu
Next Generation Space AI/ML: AI Onboard Processing
Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $130,000
Dr. James Stine
Versatile Experimental Platform for 6G and Beyond Communications and Sensing Innovations
Sponsor: National Aeronautics and Space Administration | $1,000,000
Dr. Jeffrey Young and Dr. John O'Hara
Novel Non-Contact Spectroscopy to Ensure Freshness in the Beef Supply Chain
Sponsor: United States Department of Agriculture | $266,637
Dr. Daqing Piao
Improving the DEtection of shielded contraband by advancing Algorithms and Systems (IDEAS) for Mobile Active Interrogation using Neutrons (MAIN)
Sponsor: University of Tennessee for Department of Homeland Security | $166,950.94
Dr. Qi Cheng
Metamaterials for Nonlinear Coupling and Decoupling in Opto-Electronic and Mechanical Systems
Sponsor: Air Force Office of Scientific Research | $238,162
Dr. John O'Hara
4-Quadrant Plug and Play Cooperative Units (PQ-CU) for Providing Model-Free Grid Services and Robust Demand Side Management
Sponsor: University of California for the California Energy Commission | $375,685
Dr. Hamidreza Nazaripouya
Super-Resolution Focusing of Terahertz Plasmonic Surface Waves
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $338,290
Dr. Weili Zhang
Legacy Grants and Contracts
RI: Small: Enabling Sound-based Human Activity Monitoring for Home Service Robots
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $488,692
Dr. Weihua Sheng
CATcare: Cognition Assistive Technology for Dementia
Sponsor: National Institute of Health | $238,198
Dr. Guoliang Fan
Space-borne Antennas and Circuits for Condensed Radars and STEM (SPACERS)
Sponsor: University of Oklahoma for the Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium for the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education | $20,673
Dr. James West and Dr. Jamey Jacob
A Low-Cost and Non-Contact Respiration Monitoring Method for COVID-19 Screening and Prognosis
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $50,000
Dr. Sabit Ekin
Exploration and Design of Low-Power High Performance Secure Computer Architectures
Sponsor: Air Force Research Laboratory | $927,024
Dr. James Stine
Stochastic Cable Harness Coupling to Electric Fields in Spacecraft Cavities
Sponsor: Sonelite, Inc. d/b/a Robust Physics for National Aeronautics & Space Administration | $239,609
Dr. James West and Dr. Charles Bunting
CNS Core: Small: Non-contact Monitoring of Respiration and Heart Rates Through Light-Wave Sensing
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $156,000
Dr. Sabit Ekin and Dr. John O'Hara
MRI: Acquisition of a Wideband Continuous-Wave Characterization Platform
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $635,000
Dr. John O'Hara, Dr. Weili Zhang, Dr. Wooyeol Choi, Dr. Sabit Ekin, and Dr. Emrah Turgut
Opamps and OTA Design in the Context of Supply Scaling
Sponsor: Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific | $194,626.70
Dr. Chris Hutchens and Dr. John Hu
SCC-PG: Revitalizing Rural-Equipping Rural Communities with Technology Literacy for Seizing Productivity
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $101,569
Dr. John O'Hara and Dr. Sabit Ekin
Model-Free Adaptive Control (MFAC) for Autonomous and Resilient Microgrids
Sponsor: University of Tennessee for Department of Defense | $60,000
Dr. Hantao Cui
Graduate Research Fellowship for Karl Strecker
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $137,999.50
Dr. John O'Hara
Cadence Design Systems: SKY 130nm + Cadence Design Systems + OpenRoad Flow and Library Integration Initiative
Sponsor: Cadence Design Systems | $30,000
Dr. James Stine
Collaborative Research: Designing a Spectrally Efficient and Energy Efficient Data Aided Demand Driven Elastic Architecture for Future Networks
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $265,858
Dr. Sabit Ekin
SHF: Small: Exploring and Enhancing Capabilities of Emerging Hybrid/Convertible Solid-State
Drive
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $583,947
Dr. Bingzhe Li
CommAwareNet: Towards Communication-Aware Smart Facilities: Designing an Energy-efficient
High-data-rate and Reliable Hybrid THz/VLC Communication Architecture Reinforced with
Intelligent Surfaces for Future Networks
Sponsor: Department of Energy | $132,800
Dr. Sabit Ekin
Collaborative Research: CNS Core: Small: Efficient Ways to Enlarge Practical DNA Storage
Capacity by Integrating Bio-Computer Technologies
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $300,000
Dr. Bingzhe Li
Heterogenous Communication-Delay-Resilient Secondary Frequency Regulation from Aggregated
Electric Vehicles
Sponsor: Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC for National Renewable Energy Laboratory for Department of Energy | $85,000
Dr. Hantao Cui
Rapid Time-Domain Modeling of Electromagnetic Coupling
Sponsor: Sonelite, Inc. d/b/a Robust Physics for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency | $191,274
Dr. James West, Dr. Sabit Ekin, and Dr. Charles Bunting
mmW-based Future Dense Networks with UAV Backhauling: Channel Characterization, Performance Optimization, and AI-driven Enhancement
Sponsor: Qatar National Research Fund | $39,631
Dr. Sabit Ekin and Dr. Wooyeol Choi
Frontier Electronic Systems Corp. Fall 2020 Internships
Sponsor: Frontier Electronic Systems Corp. | $87,839
Dr. Chuck Bunting
Radiation-Hardened RF Receiver with On-Board Performance Compensation
Sponsor: IEEE Microwave Theory & Techniques Society | $3,500
Dr. Wooyeol Choi and Dr. Ickhyun Song
Electromagnetic Interactions Between Cables, Antennas, and Their Environment
Sponsor: Sonelite, Inc. d/b/a Robust Physics for Naval Air Warfare Center | $45,999
Dr. James West and Dr. Charles Bunting
Al-Enabled Proactive Resilience Enhancement of Electric Infrastructure Against Wildfire
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $52,482
Dr. Hamidreza Nazaripouya
Feasibility Study on Limited Flight Inspection & Market Analysis UAS Measure Signal
Sponsor: Federal Aviation Administration | $30,379.71
Dr. James West
0.41-Thz CMOS-based Short-range Imager for Industrial Applications
Sponsor: University of Texas at Dallas for Texas Instruments | $97,544
Dr. Wooyeol Choi
Structured Low-Energy High Performance Application-Specific Computer Architectures
Sponsor: United States Air Force | $1,297,666
Dr. James Stine
(DURIP) Continuous-Wave Terahertz System for Integrated Time and Frequency-Domain
Measurements
Sponsor: Air Force Office of Scientific Research | $95,840
Dr. John O'Hara, Dr. Sabit Ekin, and Dr. Emrah Turgut
Graduate Research Fellowship for Karl Strecker
Sponsor: National Science Foundation | $91,999.50
Dr. John O'hara
FAA COE Zone 3 ILS Measurements
Sponsor: Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence | $134,750
Dr. James West, Dr. Jamey Jacob and Dr. Gary Ambrose
Airborne LiDAR
Sponsor: Skydweller US Inc. for Air Force Research Laboratory | $18,137
Dr. John O'Hara
Soil Monitoring through UAV-Assisted Internet of Things Wireless Underground Sensors
Sponsor: United States Geological Survey | $23,807
Dr. Sabit Ekin, Dr. John O'Hara, Dr. Jamey Jacob and Dr. Saleh Taghvaeian
A Mobile Platform for Clinical Gait Analysis
Sponsor: Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology | $45,000
Dr. Guoliang Fan