06/30/2009

Cooperative Computer Networking in Practice

 

video using legacy WiFi system video using cooperative communications

Cooperative Computer Networking in Practice

NSF-funded researchers at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU) are developing two medium-scale programmable cooperative computer networking testbeds in order to illustrate the feasibility of cooperative communications and provide a platform for testing and developing new signal protocols.  Cooperative networking is a new paradigm in wireless communications that significantly improves data rates and reliability. Unlike traditional wireless networks, in a cooperative network, users exploit the broadcast nature of the wireless medium to "overhear" each other's transmitted signals and help by forwarding to the intended destination. The first testbed is based on commercial WiFi cards (driver testbed), while the second one uses fully programmable software defined radios (software radio testbed).  While the theoretical benefits of cooperative communications are well known, the testbeds at NYU's Polytechnic Institute, funded through the Major Research Instrumentation Program, establish for the first time that the expected gains can be  translated into practice. The testbeds also support educational and research efforts involving undergraduate and graduate students.  Thirty-two Masters students and 13 undergraduates so far have worked on the testbeds.  A demonstration developed by two of the Masters students received the Third Place in WiNTECH 2008 MobiCom Workshop Research Demo contest.  An undergraduate summer intern was selected as a finalist for the Google Women in Engineering Award 2009.  A wireless networking class based on the testbeds has been developed, making NYU-Poly one of the few institutions in the country with an implementation-based wireless networking class.(Highlight ID: 18310)

 

As featured on the NSF website http://www.nsf.gov/od/oia/highlights/highlights2.jsp