Integrative, Hybrid and Complex Systems West Virginia University Research Corporation Daryl S. Reynolds CAREER: Multimodal Cooperative Networks: Design, Analysis, Prototyping, and Integrated Education
The objective of this research is to produce theoretical results and hardware prototypes for communication networks that exploit multiple wired and wireless modes in novel ways. The approach is to perform joint and simultaneous optimization of wireless and wired modes, in contrast to the conventional strategy, whereby wired and wireless modes are optimized separately, then joined together. A multimodal communication module will be constructed by students for the purposes of testing and practical protocol development.
Intellectual Merit Preliminary results suggest that the joint optimization of wired and wireless communication modes can dramatically improve the energy efficiency, security, and reliability of multimodal networks, relative to the conventional "divide-and-conquer" optimization approach. Because most practical communication networks and their theoretical models can incorporate both wired and wireless modes to some degree, it is expected that the results will have a significant impact on the design and analysis of next generation networks.
Broader Impacts Each of the research program's three tasks involves a diverse group of students at all levels. The project supports two undergraduate LEAD (Lane Experience in Applied Design) teams and two graduate teams that are given specific responsibilities within each task, with the goal of providing each student with 1) student teaching opportunities to improve communication skills, 2) theoretical foundations to support life-long learning, and 3) hardware prototyping skills to provide hands-on experience. The project also supports West Virginia's "Vision 2015" strategic plan, designed to make research and innovation the number one driver of West Virginia
