Winston Seah

Prof Winston Seah

Professor of Network Engineering
School of Engineering and Computer Science
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Research Interests

I am actively involved in research and development in the areas of mobile ad hoc and sensor networks, and co-developed one of the first Quality of Service models for mobile ad hoc networks.

As a member of the Network Engineering Research Group (NERG), my latest research focuses on Wireless Sensor Networks Powered by Ambient Energy Harvesting (WSN-HEAP), wireless sensor networks for structural health monitoring, wireless multi-hop networks and mobility-enhanced protocols and algorithms for networked swarm robotics and sensing applications in terrestrial and oceanographic networks. Critical issues being addressed include quality of service (QoS) support for multimedia traffic as well as environmentally-friendly (green) technology for wireless communication networks.

I have worked for more than 16 years in mission-oriented research, taking ideas from theory to prototypes. You can read more about my research and also access some of my papers from my personal web page.

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Publications

For a list of my recent publications, please see the NERG Research Publications or the Publications Database.

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Prospective Graduate Students

Research topics for prospective graduate students to consider include (but not limited to) the following:

Wireless Sensor Networks

• Energy-Efficient Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks
• Mobile Sensing using Smartphones and Community Devices
• Wireless Protocol Design for Body Area Sensor Networks in Healthcare
• Intuitive Sensing and Actuation using Biological, Environmental and Physical Signals

Next Generation Networks

• Quality of Service Support for Network Control and Multimedia Content
• Addressing Fundamental Flaws in Routing for Wireless Multihop Networks
• Theoretical Approaches in Wireless Communications Networks and Systems Design
• Internet of Things, Machine-to-Machine Communications, Smart Device Communications

Sustainable Networks

• Robust End-to-End Wireless Networking Protocols for Harsh Environments
• Wireless Sensor Networks Powered by Ambient Energy Harvesting (WSN-HEAP)
• Environmentally-Friendly (Green) Protocols for Wireless Communications Networks
• Restoration and Rehabilitation of the Natural Environment using Info-Communication Technologies

For some details on the above, you can refer to the list of Open Research Projects at the Network Engineering Research Group. If you wish to work on the security aspects of the above topics, you can also contact me or Dr Ian Welch.

For details of VUW's postgraduate studies and process of applying for admission, please refer to the Prospective Postgraduates webpage.

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Invited Lecture

Title: Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Powered by Energy Harvesting

Synopsis: Communication networks have become an integral part of our society. While we have become unconnected by wires for our communication needs, we are still "connected" by the need for the energy that powers the various communication devices. The enormous amounts of energy consumed by the communication networks has become a hotly debated issue with respect to the harm it is causing to our environment. This has opened up new research areas that look into ways of reducing energy consumption and alternative forms of renewable energy sources. In this talk, we will first briefly talk about general trends in environmentally friendly ICT. Then, we will focus on the research on wireless sensor networks powered by ambient energy harvesting. In this aspect, we will discuss some of the latest research efforts and developments on networking protocol design and conclude with a summary of the open research problems.

You can download the slides(pdf document - 4 MB).

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Inaugural Lecture on May 11, 2010

Title: Wireless Communication Networks in Extreme Environments : Trends and Challenges.

Synopsis: The use of wireless communications is swiftly extending beyond networks for the average person to networks for embedded devices, sensors and autonomous systems, as well as networks for personnel in extreme environments—underground, underwater and in disaster situations. Many existing wireless networking technologies have not been designed to handle conditions presented by such environments and may not operate up to expectations. Some may even fail totally. This lecture discusses the challenges of designing robust wireless networks for communications in these extreme environments as well as issues to be addressed in order for research to be implemented and deployed in a realistic environment.

You can download the slides (pdf document - 23.3 MB). Podcast of the lecture is available here.