Polymorphic Wireless Receivers

Idea completely new to me.

Home/Magazine Archive/September 2022 (Vol. 65, No. 9)/Polymorphic Wireless Receivers/Abstract

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Polymorphic Radio Receivers    By Francesco Restuccia, Tommaso Melodia

Communications of the ACM, September 2022, Vol. 65 No. 9, Pages 83-91   10.1145/3547131

Tivoli PAL BT portable Bluetooth radio

Today's wireless technologies are largely based on inflexible designs, which make them inefficient and prone to a variety of wireless attacks. To address this key issue, wireless receivers will need to (i) infer on-the-fly the physical layer parameters currently used by transmitters; and if needed, (ii) change their hardware and software structures to demodulate the incoming waveform. In this paper, we introduce PolymoRF, a deep learning-based polymorphic receiver able to reconfigure itself in real time based on the inferred waveform parameters. Our key technical innovations are (i) a novel embedded deep learning architecture, called RFNet, which enables the solution of key waveform inference problems, and (ii) a generalized hardware/software architecture that integrates RFNet with radio components and signal processing. We prototype PolymoRF on a custom software-defined radio platform and show through extensive over-the-air experiments that PolymoRF achieves throughput within 87% of a perfect-knowledge Oracle system, thus demonstrating for the first time that polymorphic receivers are feasible.

1. Introduction

It has been forecast that over 50 billion mobile devices will be soon connected to the Internet, creating the biggest network the world has ever seen.3 However, only very recently has the community started to acknowledge that squeezing billions of devices into tiny spectrum portions will inevitably create disruptive levels of interference. Although Mitola and Maguire first envisioned the concept of "cognitive radios" 20 years ago,8 today's commercial wireless devices still use inflexible wireless standards such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth—and thus, are still very far from being truly real-time reconfigurable. Just to give an example of the seriousness of the spectrum inflexibility issue, DARPA has recently invested to launch the spectrum collaboration challenge (SC2), where the target is to design spectrum access schemes that "[…] best share spectrum with any network(s), in any environment, without prior knowledge, leveraging on machine-learning techniques."25   .... ' 

Countermeasure Against Wireless Surveillance

 Appears very useful

Countermeasure Against Wireless Surveillance  By Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany), May 25, 2022

The intelligent reflecting surface IRShield is positioned next to a Wi-Fi router for obfuscation of the environment-dependent wireless channel. ... 

Researchers from Germany's Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, and the Cologne University of Applied Sciences have developed a system to protect privacy in wireless communications based on intelligent reflective surfaces (IRS).

To prevent passive eavesdroppers from obtaining sensitive data transmitted through intercepted high-frequency signals, the team created IRS, which distributes many reflective elements over a surface and electronically adjusts the reflective behavior of each.

Their IRShield solution uses an algorithm to create a random IRS configuration that disguises wireless channels so attackers are unable to read information about movements in the room from the signal.

In testing, the researchers found IRShield was able to thwart 95% of such attacks.

From Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany)   Full Article

An Internet of Plastic, Wireless Things?

 Now here is something quite different.  Thinking packaging applications. Others? 

Here Comes the Internet of Plastic Things, No Batteries or Electronics Required

IEEE Spectrum, Dexter Johnson,  October 8, 2020

Researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have developed a technique for three-dimensionally (3D) printing plastic objects that communicate with Wi-Fi devices without batteries or electronics. The method applies Wi-Fi backscatter technology to 3D geometry to create easy-to-print wireless devices using commodity 3D printers. The researchers built non-electronic analogues for each electronic component using plastic filaments, then integrated them into a single computational design. Explained UW’s Shyam Gollakota, “We are using mechanism actuation to transmit information wirelessly from these plastic objects.” The team has released its computer-aided design (CAD) models to 3D-printing hobbyists so that they can create their own Internet of Things objects.   ... " 

Gloves to Control Drones Wirelessly

Another example of wearable interfaces.     Gloves are usual special purpose clothing, so this probably links to special use cases.

Astronaut smart glove controls drones wirelessly, could be used to explore Mars   By Georgina Torbet  in DigitalTrends

Demonstration at the NASA Haughton-Mars Project field research site on Devon Island, High Arctic, of how an “Astronaut Smart Glove” might allow future astronauts on the Moon, Mars, or beyond to single-handedly teleoperate even complex robotic assets such as drones.

Haughton-Mars Project / P. Lee

Scientists from NASA and the SETI Institute have developed a new “smart glove” for astronauts which is almost like magic. The glove allows astronauts to wirelessly control robots such as drones through one-handed gestures and could be used for future exploration of locations like the moon and Mars.

NASA recently unveiled the new spacesuits that astronauts will wear for the upcoming Artemis mission to the moon, and one of the challenges they addressed was how to allow precise finger movements in a pressurized suit. Their solution was to have the pressure be adjustable, so wearers can turn it down if they need to operate machinery using buttons.

The smart glove takes a different approach, interacting with machinery through whole-hand gestures instead of push buttons. The design is based on the work of Norwegian start-up Ntention, who created a glove for controlling drones here on Earth. It was then adapted by NASA and the SETI Institute to meet the needs of astronauts.  ... " 

Influence of 5G on Cable?

A look at the emergence.  Podcast and transcript.   Personal and civic infrastructures that will need to be updated?  " .... Expectations are riding high for the next generation of wireless technology, but is 5G ready to compete with wired broadband networks? ... " 

The Promise and Pitfalls of 5G: Will It Kill Cable?
Wharton’s Kevin Werbach and Jeffrey Reed from Virginia Tech discuss whether 5G technology will live up to its promise.

In December, the Federal Communications Commission will undertake the largest spectrum auction in U.S. history — putting 3.4 GHz of airwaves on the market to free up space for 5G communications. As the next generation in wireless technology, 5G promises to boost data speeds by up to 100 times, making them competitive with the fastest wired broadband networks. In April, the White House planted an official stake in the 5G race, with President Trump calling it a “big deal,” as it will change the way Americans work, learn, communicate and travel.

A lot of expectations are riding on 5G, for good reason. The technology offers “potentially gigabyte speeds over wireless, fast enough that for the first time wireless could be a competitive alternative for wired systems — like cable- and phone-based and fiber-based systems — for basic broadband access,” said Kevin Werbach, a Wharton professor of legal studies and business ethics who used to work for the FCC, on the Knowledge@Wharton radio show on SiriusXM.

5G also could usher in new innovations to supercharge the “internet of things” and mobile broadband applications, among others. “It is very important for the U.S. to adopt this technology early. And the reason is that it is going to form the basis for innovations in a variety of areas, such as smart grid and smart connected automobiles, and factories of the future,” said Jeffrey Reed, Virginia Tech professor of electrical and computer engineering and founding director of Wireless@Virginia Tech. (Reed joined Werbach on the Knowledge@Wharton show. Listen to the podcast above.)   .... "

On the Future of Wireless: ACM Webinar

ACM event.  Register at the link,   We now take this for granted, but advances in wreless communications will open many new tech possibilities.  For work and for play ...

Title: The Future of Wireless and What It Will Enable

Date: Wednesday, April 03, 2019

Time: 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
Duration: 1 hour

Wireless technology has enormous potential to change the way we live, work, and play over the next several decades. Future wireless networks will support 100 Gbps communication between people, devices, and the “Internet of Things,” with high reliability and uniform coverage indoors and out. The shortage of spectrum to support such systems will be alleviated by advances in massive MIMO and mmW technology as well as cognitive radios. Wireless technology will also enable smart and energy-efficient homes and buildings, automated highways and skyways, and in-body networks for monitoring, analysis, and treatment of medical conditions. Breakthrough energy-efficiency architectures, algorithms, and hardware will allow wireless networks to be powered by tiny batteries, energy-harvesting, or over-the-air power transfer. Finally, new communication systems based on biology and chemistry to encode bits will enable a wide range of new micro and macroscale applications. There are many technical challenges that must be overcome in order to make this vision a reality. This talk will describe what the wireless future might look like along with some of the innovations and breakthroughs required to realize this vision.

SPEAKER
Andrea Goldsmith
Stanford University; 2018-2019 ACM Athena Lecturer  .... "

Shimmer Does Biometric Sensing

Used to be on a cognitive and sensing team at Procter, but lately a bit out of the biometrics space, but still following.  A note from Len Stein at  Ipsos points me to Shimmer, with an intro below.  They are doing a group analysis of the US Superbowl ads this weekend, will report on that effort next week.

" ... Shimmer Sensing

At Shimmer we believe wearable wireless sensing empowers people. Our mission is to provide new data, new solutions, new insight, and new meaning. Sensing is not just harnessing technology; it's harnessing the potential of human information, empowering people to address societal and business challenges that deliver a quantifiable and meaningful benefit.

We are committed to driving innovation in wearable wireless sensing through quality, integrity, reliability, and openness. These are the core values of our brand that guide our people as we develop close partnerships to realize solutions for our target markets that fit the application, the user, the individual, and make a real difference.

Our Company

Shimmer is a leading provider of wearable wireless sensor products and solutions since its foundation in 2008. As a pioneer in the industry we are committed to pushing the boundaries, and driving the future development of wearable wireless sensing through our personnel and world class engineering team.

Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland and with a location in Boston, USA, we generate revenue by offering wearable wireless sensing technology, solutions and consultancy services to the Research and Education, Enterprise, and End User markets. Shipping to over 70 countries worldwide our technology and solutions are utilized by the brightest start-ups, Fortune 500 companies, and world’s leading Universities. Shimmer is a privately held company, and manufactures all of its products in its Dublin facility which is accredited to the quality management standard ISO 9001 and the medical device standard ISO 13485.  ... " 

Google Wants You Online, All the Time

In Wired:
Google's Business Only \ works when people are online. It doesn’t care how you get there. But Google has every incentive to make connecting to the internet as easy as possible. And now it’s looking at a few new ways to make access easier than ever. .. " 

By providing their own wireless service and advanced switching systems.

IKEA to Sell Furniture that Charges Devices

At least with Android devices.    I am a long time follower of office design that embeds technology. Despite how that is seemingly becoming obsolete.    Was unaware of this line, but look forward to wireless clutter.   " .... IKEA Will Start Selling Qi Wireless Charging-Enabled Furniture In April 2015 ... " .  More on Qi Wireless.

Keyless Entry and Check-in

In GigaOm:  Smartphone as keyless entry.  Nice idea, but with the usual privacy issues.  It was not too long ago I saw an article about hacking hotel doors.   " ... Later this week 10 Starwood hotels will let customers use their smartphones to unlock their hotel room door, letting customers using the Starwood app or other Starwood channels bypass the front desk for check-in. Called SPG Keyless, the program will be available to Starwood Preferred Guests who book their rooms through the Starwood mobile app.

When those customers’ rooms are ready they will get a notification along with their key, and from that point on they can just pop on in to the hotel and go directly to their room. You will have to open the app to unlock the door, which means you’re going to need a phone with a charge and your hands free, but it’s a small price for many to pay in order to avoid a wait. ... " 

WiFi in the Internet of Things

In Ara Technica:  Fairly obvious that many things will be connected wirelessly.   A home or business is an aggregation of things that need to be connected to joint sensors and resources.  " .... Whether it’s the Connected Home or the Internet of Things, many everyday home appliances and devices will soon feature some form of Internet connectivity. What form should that connectivity take? We sat down with Edgar Figueroa, President and CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance, to discuss his belief that Wi-Fi is the clear choice. ... " 

Visualizing Cell Phone Signals

Had always wondered what the RF space would look like.  Here an attempt at visualizing how complex the coverage of RF looks like today.    Some of the commenters suggest it is a big simplification. Even before Marconi there were radio frequency waves from other sources, such as from space. But now it so utterly full of information.  Its a big buzzing cloud of confusion out there, with patterns waiting to be interpreted.

Wireless Charging in RF

New developments in wireless charging.  Most methods today use inductive technologies  these use radio frequency.  I wonder about RF interference here.  We examined wireless charging for smart home applications.

Wi-Fi Enabled Services in Retail

Interesting post in the Cisco Blog.    Consider the potential for added services in retail contexts.   " ... That situation is changing through the growing availability of Wi-Fi in business locations. Many retailers, hotels, and other businesses are increasingly offering Wi-Fi as a service that allows their customers to connect mobile devices to the Internet. Hidden in this valuable service is a vast amount of information and insight, which retailers and others can use to deliver tangible value to their bottom lines. Hypersensitive location information, device details, identification of returning customers, and sophisticated path analysis are just some of the customer data captured by Wi-Fi networks. Businesses are now realizing that the data and capabilities offer new ways to improve the customer experience and support a range of market-leading monetization models. .... " 

Kroger Links Loyalty to Wireless Minutes

Retailers are starting to do more clever things with loyalty programs:

' ... The Kroger Co. is rolling out what it says is a first-of-its-kind loyalty program that rewards frequent shoppers with free wireless service using its proprietary branded wireless phone service, i-wireless. The “Free Minutes” rewards program enables customers to earn free airtime on their i-wireless phones when they purchase groceries in more than 2,200 Kroger-owned stores nationwide ... '

Related, the test that linked P&G e-coupons to Kroger loyalty cards has been ended. ' ... P&G and Kroger first tried out digital coupons two years ago. Kroger also has teamed with AOL's Shortcuts, Cellfire and P&G rival Unilever on digital coupons and said it's talking with other potential partners ... '
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