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Electrical Engineering Research at NMT
Research Paper Summary (May 2001 - May 2004)
Dr. Rene Arechiga My research interests are in digital signal processing applied to speech recognition and thunderstorms. In the area of speech my goal is to build a tutor of English pronunciation for hispanics. In the area of thunderstorms I am currently working on acoustical monitoring and analysis of thunder due to lightning in the infrasound, audible and higher frequency ranges.
Dr. Robert Bond
Dr. Aly El-Osery Research interests are sensor networks, structural health monitoring, multi-sensor fusion, digital signal processing and softcomputing. The primary research focus is in the area of sensor networks. Advances in micro-sensor and radio technology have enabled small but smart sensors to be deployed for a wide range of monitoring applications, such as early fire detection in forests, traffic monitoring, structural health monitoring, etc. In this research, we develop efficient methods for RF based sensor localization, power conservation, system scalability, and optimization of sensor allocation.
Dr. Hector Erives Spectral imaging is used to collect spatial information in multiple spectral bands across the electromagnetic spectrum. One of the main advantages of multispectral imaging is the ability to be able to see information of a target partitioned in some wavelengths. Multispectral imaging – i.e. consists on the collection of spectral information on a target with a few wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum. Hyperspectral imaging, on the other hand, is used to collect information in many wavelengths which may range from the ultraviolet to the infrared. This capability allows for hyperspectral imagers to discriminate objects with very distinctive spectral characteristics within the scene. My research consists on the applications of hyperspectral imaging to other fields, other than remote sensing, such close range inspection applications. These include hyperspectral imaging of skin. Imaging skin lesions at different wavelengths may provide extra information than just looking at a very few selected bands, i.e. RGB images. Furthermore, hyperspectral imaging combined with ranging measurements provides much more information because now the imagery is complemented with depth information. The combination of these two schemes in an instrument makes it a more useful tool than otherwise. I am also interested in the calibration and characterization of spectral instruments, as this is the first step towards producing quality images.
Dr. Anders Jorgensen My research interests span a wide range of topics from astronomical instrumentation and techniques through space plasma physics and space weather to sensor networks and machine learning algorithms. I am a collaborator on the Navy Prototype Optical Interferometer (NPOI) which is an astronomical observatory located in Flagstaff, AZ. The observations from optical interferometers are heavily influenced by turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere, which severely limits the signal to noise. New data processing algorithms, which often run on supercomputers, can extract more of the signal buried in noise than traditional approaches, sometimes improving performance by many orders of magnitude making previously impossible measurements possible. With optical interferometers we can measure such simple quantities as diameters of stars, and separations and masses of binary stars, all of which are important for getting a better understanding of the physics that make stars shine. The NPOI is also working on producing high-fidelity images of astronomical objects similar to the ones produced by the VLA. I have also spent a large part of my career studying space physics. This involves understanding the complex environment in the vicinity of the Earth, which is a mixture of magnetic and electric fields, radiation belts, and interactions with the solar wind. The data for these studies come from a variety of NASA and international satellites, as well as magnetometers around the world. I have used machine learning algorithm, such as genetic programming and neural nets to model space physics phenomena, and recently I have begun a project to model the Earth's plasmasphere by using Kalman filtering techniques similar to those used in Earth weather prediction. I am interested in distributed sensors networks, particularly for environmental monitoring and scientific applications on Earth and in space. I am particularly interested in collective effects in networks of very simple sensors.
Dr. William Rison My primary research areas are observations of lightning and thunderstorms, and the design of instrumentation to make such observations. I have led the design and construction of the New Mexico Tech's Lightning Mapping Array, an instrument which makes three-dimensional images of lightning channels by measuring the times RF radiation from the electrical breakdowns which form the channels is received at several ground stations. This successful instrument is now being used at several other institutions (NASA, National Sever Storms Laboratory, White Sands Missile Range), and is the current state-of-the-art for RF lightning imaging. My design works involves embedded processors, and real-time control and display. In addition to instrumentation design and use, I am involved in studies of the lightning attachment process in an attempt to determine the optimal shape of a lightning rod.
Dr. Scott W. Teare My primary research is in the area of Experimental Adaptive Optics. This includes wavefront control and manipulation in optical imaging systems and high-energy laser beam propagation. The work involves the application of knowledge from a broad range of areas including: electro-optics, parallel computing; atmospheric effects; telescope systems; optical fabrication and coatings; controls; and related instrumentation development. Recently I have begun working on radiation effects in semiconductor devices and how it impacts device operation and performance characteristics. Active research projects include wavefront sensing; parallel computing; radiation effects in semiconductors; beam steering and positioning.
Dr. Ron Thomas My research interests are the studies lightning in thunderstorms and erupting volcanoes. I am interested in the basic physics, the instrumentation for studying it and the analysis of data from the measurements. My primary interest is lightning, its detection, mapping of its structure in the clouds, understanding its growth and dynamics, and its relationship to the thunderstorm. Recently we have begun measuring lightning in the plumes of erupting volcanoes. These measurements and comparison will help us understand charge generation and separation in both environments better. I am working with a team of other engineers, physicists, and students from physics, EE, Math and CS. As part of this team we have designed and built several lightning mapping systems. I am interested in optimizing the parameters for the best design and developing computer algorithms for data processing and visualization. New Mexico Tech Lightning Mapping Array has become a highly successful instrument that is now a key component of all lightning measurement campaigns.
Dr. Kevin Wedeward
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