ARRA: CAREER: Spatial Sensing for Design of Miniature Sensor Array Microsystems

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The focus of this research is the design of algorithms and real-time system implementations for the task of source localization and separation using miniature sensor arrays. The dimensions of the arrays are much smaller than the wavelength of the incident signals. The approach integrates wave-front sensing and independent component analysis in a framework that has the potential to extend the performance of current source separation algorithms and result in efficient implementation in mixed-signal very large-scale integration (VLSI) circuitry, yielding real-time performance in a small form factor. The extension of the algorithms under study to electromagnetic waves has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of power transfer through inductive coupling for implantable biomedical devices. Extension to radio frequency (RF) waves presents an alternative solution for adaptive wideband beam-forming for compact smart antennas in portable devices. The miniaturization of sensors poses new challenges in sensor integration and presents new opportunities to advance the performance of current systems. The gradient flow method under investigation has the potential to advance the theory and practice of smart sensor array interfaces through the synergy of spatial and temporal sensing. The integration of this biologically-inspired concept has the potential to lead to important advances in solving the difficult "cocktail party" problem, separating and distinguishing signals in a noisy environment, observed in acoustics. The results of the proposed work have the potential to contribute to a number of applications including intelligent hearing aids, acoustic monitoring and surveillance in demanding environments, implantable neural interfaces, and portable communication devices. In addition to the project's scientific and engineering impact, the research has the potential to cultivate and introduce interdisciplinary approaches to engineering problems to undergraduate and graduate students through classes, projects, and workshops in analog integrated circuit design and sensory information processing.