ONR Scientist Awarded for 'Game-Changing' Research on Wireless Networks

By Warren Duffie, Office of Naval Research

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- On Aug. 5, officials announced that Dr. Syed Jafar, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, recently won the 2015 Blavatnik National Award for Young Scientists for his work on network information theory-which seeks to determine how many users and devices a wireless network can support.

Jafar's work is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

When warfighters need to send covert messages over military wireless networks, they cloak the transmission signals in a haze of virtual "noise" or chatter. This method hides secret communications effectively, but also consumes immense bandwidth, limiting message size and speed.

However, thanks to Jafar's efforts, military wireless networks could one day be larger, faster and accommodate more users.

"Dr. Jafar has conducted game-changing research in the study of wireless network capacity," said Program Officer Dr. Satanu Das, who works in ONR's C4ISR Department. "This has helped us explore new frontiers in bandwidth efficiency for military communication networks."

The Blavatnik awards are presented yearly by the New York Academy of Sciences, honor the nation's most exceptional scientists and engineers under 42 years of age, and provide a prize of $250,000 to each winner. Jafar was one of three winners chosen from among 300 candidates.

Jafar's award-winning research determines how much user capacity a wireless network (a series of signal transmitters and receivers) can hold. With the rapid growth of-and need for-civilian and military wireless networks, this knowledge quest has taken on unprecedented urgency.

Wireless networks have a limited, or fixed, amount of bandwidth and user capacity. When just a few people are online, signal strength is great, but when more users connect, the connection slows down.

"Take a network that can support 20 users, for example," said Jafar. "It's loud, chaotic and everyone is talking at once, creating interference that diminishes connection strength."

To remedy this, wireless providers usually divide available bandwidth into slices, like a cake. The more users, the smaller the bandwidth ration for each. The problem, said Jafar, is this method has never been proven to be the most effective or efficient.

Through his research, Jafar has found that by changing the mathematical formulas and algorithms used to design wireless signals, it's possible to potentially filter out undesired signals at every network receiver, making other users' interference less intrusive while allowing each user to access half of the total bandwidth free from interference.

"This means that, in a network of 20 users, each person's available bandwidth can increase by a factor of 10," said Jafar. "In theory, everyone gets half the cake instead of one-twentieth. This principle can apply to networks of varying sizes."

Altering the signal design formulas also naturally jams undesired signals, guaranteeing communication security, since only desired signals are visible at each receiver.

Although Jafar points out his research is still theoretical and needs further testing, his work has influenced the overarching conversation about how people understand wireless networks and the best way to design them.

"This also could benefit the work ONR does, since the military is always seeking information advantage," said Jafar. "By increasing its wireless network capacity, the military can accommodate more users, send out stronger, more secure covert transmissions and more effectively jam incoming hostile signals."

Jafar's work aligns with several tenets of the Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower, a maritime strategy shared by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The strategy calls for increased focus on cyberspace operations, which includes defensive and offensive measures to protect networks and data.

Sensors on Scan

One of the things I like most about science fiction are the gadgets.

Those cool little devices that make life for us mere mortals so much easier.  From lightsabers to sonic screwdrivers and tractor beams to transporters, the SciFi verse is filled with the convenience of beautiful, impressive, but unfortunately fictitious technology.

I’m sorry, did I say fictitious?  I meant FOR REAL.

Yes that’s right.  One really amazing type of science fiction technology is being actualized right now at the Naval Research Laboratory.  One that could change the way we deal with many different types of situations, and could even go so far as to save lives.  So which one of the amazing futuristic inventions is coming to the real world?

No really, The Naval Research Laboratory has essentially created a technology that will allow us to scan an area and determine what’s in it…And it’s small enough that it could potentially fit on your smart phone.  If you’re not impressed yet just wait until you find out the science behind how this thing actually works.

The technology is called SiN-VAPOR, which stands for silicon nanowire vertical array with a porous electrode.  So what does that mean, exactly?

“That means that we have a sensor about the size of a quarter that can detect very low concentrations of analytes in the vapor phase,” explains Dr. Chris Field, a research chemist at NRL, and also a part of what I’m calling the tricorder team.  “So an example would be that we can detect down to the tenth PPB, or parts per billion range.  So to define what that is, we’re able to detect from the background, ten molecules of one analyte versus a billion of other molecules that may be in the same environment.”

The end product is something quite similar to a Star Trek tricorder, Dr. Field goes on to say, in that someone could walk into a room and be able to determine everything that’s in the vapor phase.  So if there’s a carbon monoxide leak, as an example.  If there is an elevated level of oxygen.  If there is something that’s burning.  If a perfume released in a room.  The SiN-VAPOR would be able to detect that.

And that’s only a few of the things this sensor has the potential to do.

“Another example would be similar to like a breathalyzer, only we would be able to detect pretty much anything from what you had for breakfast this morning all the way down to lung cancer,” says Dr. Field.

Which makes this device both incredible and versatile.  Being able to scan what the human eye cannot see is something that could not only prevent bad breath but also help save lives.  It’s also rather compact.  And by that I mean really, really small.

“The current sensor is about the size of a quarter, and within that quarter or about that size we have over a billion nanowires in that surface,” Dr. Field explains as he holds the tiny tricorder chip in the palm of his hand.  “Each wire is a sensor, so we essentially have a billion sensors on the size of a quarter.  The final form factor for the sensor, or the final product from this research will hopefully be something that can fit onto a cell phone.  Cell phones are ubiquitous in the world these days and we would love to have our sensors on every cell phone in the world.”

Talk about convenient.  I could have my music, my apps, my contacts and my scanner on my phone?  Well I’m sold.  But Dr. Field doesn’t want to stop with the cell phone.  Indeed, NRL has some bigger (and might I add convenient) plans for their vapor scanner.  Something that could change the way we travel.

In a good way.

“Another application [of this technology] would be to take that sensor and apply it to checkpoints or security so that you would never have to wait in line anymore at the airport.  So imagine the airport itself is an entire checkpoint.  So there are these small tiny vapor sensors distributed throughout the entire airport and they work together with wireless communication to map out what different vapors are in the environment.”

This basically means that there could be a future where we no longer have to wait in long security lines and take our shoes off at the airport.

These sensors could basically work around the clock, silently and painlessly scanning the crowds, on the prowl for dangerous materials.  It seems like a more attractive option than the hop-on-one-foot-to-put -shoes-back-on dance that happens now.  Not to mention more effective.

The SiN-VAPOR technology is also something that could help first responders, firefighters, and medical professionals by serving as a preventative measure.  Especially in places where prevention is the first line of defense.  Like in a crisis.

“We portray this as something that improves situational awareness,” Dr. Field explains.  “Okay, let’s say there is a fire on a Navy ship. So if our sensors are on a micro-fliers or on a robot designed to automate firefighting capabilities, you would send in the micro-fliers first as a first responder to show you know what’s going on in the room, where is the fire at, what vapors are being released, is it in a room that has other things we need to be concerned about, and then relay that information back to the central supervisory control system or on top the robot itself.  So before they open that hatch, before they enter that room, they know what’s going on inside.”

Imagine the benefits something like this could have for the military.  Searching for roadside bombs, determining threats in hidden areas, looking for hazardous materials; these are all pretty dangerous things that many service members do on a daily basis.  A device like this could keep troops safer while still allowing them to complete their mission…Only from a safer scanning distance.

This sensor can also be made for less than a dollar a piece, and uses less than a microwatt of power, so it won’t break the bank or drain the battery.  Now that’s what I call efficient technology.  Spock would be so proud.

So what science fiction shows does Dr. Field enjoy/is inspired by when he’s not busy turning science fiction into science fact?

“[It’s] a toss-up between Firefly and Battlestar Galactica – the rebooted series.  Those two – I could watch any of those episodes (with an exception of a couple of Battlestar Galactica episodes) multiple times.”

Me too, Dr. Field.  Me too.

Want to know more about this incredible technology?  Click here!

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science.  She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

Predicting A Disaster

I like to know what I’m up against.

Whether it’s weather conditions, new video games, movies, I like to know what I’m walking into, what I’m dealing with, what I can expect.  I guess you could say I’m not a fan of surprises.

So when the Naval Research Laboratory told me they have developed a technology designed to predict a disaster, I was both impressed and attracted to this idea.  I mean, a program that can explain the mitigating factors of a tragedy before I have time to panic?  Sounds like my kind of crisis management.

As it turns out, it’s attractive to first responders and the military as well.

Adam Moses is a computer scientist with the Laboratory for Computational Physics and Fluid Dynamics, where he’s been working on a type of technology that could change the way we respond and react to a crisis situation.

It’s call the CT Analyst, which stands for Contaminate Transfer Analyst, and this baby is a high speed hypothetical possibility generator that can predict a disaster in real time.

“Basically, the CT Analyst is a chemical, biological and radiological plume model designed specifically for urban environments,” Adam explains.  “There are other tools that do this sort of work, but they’re focusing on large regions.  We want to focus on something that’s small, that’s a utility for first responders, firefighters, policemen, EMTs, etc.”

Basically, this program is designed predict the way a gas plume will travel through a city…in 3D.  Yeah that’s pretty cool.

So let’s put this into a scenario:

There’s an attack somewhere in a city.

Gas is flowing through the streets.  People are scared, in danger, hysterical.  You, as a first responder, have only minutes to react to this crisis.  Every second counts.  So what do you do first?  You find the source of the attack.  Now normally this would be a long process that includes sorting through the incoherent screaming and working within the cover of chaos, but not with the CT Analyst at the ready.

With a few simple commands this technology can accurately predict the source of the danger, where the gas will go, and what areas will be affected.  Oh, and it’s fast.  I mean lightning fast.

“Many simulations that do this kind of work will say ‘okay, give me that location, give me that direction and I’ll come up with a result’ and it will take five, ten minutes.  Except in a real instance you don’t [even] have five seconds or ten seconds.  You need something immediately.”

It’s the fastest on the market, and for a good reason.  The CT Analyst pre-calculates, so instead of actually having to come up your scenario at the time (which is not the most ideal approach to calamity containment) this technology allows the first response teams to know where the explosion is, what the wind conditions are, where the gas plume is headed.

You know, all the things that go flying through your head when you realize you’re about to be battling an intangible and potentially deadly gas.

This tool allows first responders to know exactly what they’re up against within seconds of them learning they were facing a threat in the first place.  Huh.  Well this sounds like something the military could really use, don’t you think?

It turns out that NRL is already one step ahead.

“We’re doing a lot of focusing right now on training simulators, both for law enforcement and for the military,” Adam says.  “People know about smoke bombs or a chlorine weapon of some kind but they don’t know actually what to look for in terms of symptoms.  We did a project with the secret service, and we’ve been working on some projects for the Marines.  It’s really just the push to get this tool integrated into other things.”

The National Guard has already had a taste of this technology when they collaborated with NRL to maintain order at the 2009 inauguration, and it only continues to improve.  So what kinds of scenarios can the CT Analyst really predict, anyway?

“Basically every scenario you can imagine has already been processed, so when it comes down to actually coming up with the scenario you need it’s already in there, it’s in a database it’s already in there.  You just have to look it up.”

Another advantage would be the urban landscape.  “We’re not dealing with hundreds of square miles.  We’re dealing with where you are on the street, where the fire trucks are headed, and more importantly where you can set up a triage zone, where you can put hospital tents, or whatever else you need.  You can know where that plume is headed – and where it is not – and you can plan for both instances.”

Being able to react, control and contain a crisis with time on your side?  That’s an advantage that benefits everyone.  And it gets better.  This isn’t one of those technologies that utilizes some complicated device that can only be activated in one place, and it needs a fingerprint scan or some kind of hair follicle sample or whatever.  The CT Analyst is integrated into programs many of us use every day.

“You can export all our data to Google Earth, you can import data from Google Earth,” says Adam Moses.  “A lot of other people are using our tool in a way where they never actually see what our view of the world looks like.”

It’s fast, it’s effective and it’s easy to use.  This is something that not only makes the difficult job of contending with a disaster easier, but it gives us an advantage that ever first responder could always us a little more of: time.  No one wants to contend with a disaster, but with the CT Analyst, the ability to save time, to save efforts, and to potentially save lives is making all the difference.

“CT Analyst is great,” Adam Moses says with a confident smile.  “I think it really is a sort of march to the future as far as technology like this goes.  The field of HAZMAT and first responder technology is still in its infancy in a lot of ways.  Especially in post 9/11, so there’s a lot left to be done there.  The CT Analyst can really help fill a lot of that void.”

The CT Analyst literally takes the guesswork out of a gas plume crisis, and when disaster strikes, knowing what you’re dealing with – and quickly – could be the difference between life and death.

For me?  I’m choosing life, thanks.  But that should come as no surprise.

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science.  She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.