Class overview
This seminar course introduces graduate students and senior undergraduates in EE/CS to wireless sensing. We explore various signals and sensing modalities, including radio frequency, mmWave, acoustics, and visible light. We cover fundamental principles such as battery-free computing, wireless localization, sensor security, health sensing, and backscatter networking. In this course, we examine wireless sensing applications such as seeing through walls, contactless vital sign monitoring, smart homes, ocean IoT, and smart agriculture, as well as multi-modal sensing for augmented reality headsets and robotics. Lectures introduce fundamental technologies through research paper discussions and readings. Additionally, students undertake a semester-long research project.
Prerequisites/Corequisites: Signal Processing or permission of instructor
Course Materials
Use the schedule on the website to access the assigned readings. This is a new course and the readings are tentative and subject to change.
The required hardware or software will be provided by the teaching team
What to expect in this course
This course combines reading, discussion, and hands-on learning to provide an engaging and dynamic learning experience. Each lecture includes one or two assigned readings, which students must thoroughly read before class. These readings form the foundation for in-depth discussions during class. To ensure meaningful engagement, students will submit a brief review (1-2 paragraphs) of the assigned readings by midnight the night before class. Each student is allowed to skip one review during the semester without penalty.
Class sessions will vary in focus to balance theory and application. Some sessions will involve deriving equations, while others will address the practical challenges of applying these technologies in real-world and commercial contexts. This variety helps students connect theoretical knowledge to practical innovation.
We will use active learning strategies to enhance understanding. In-class discussions will delve into the fundamentals, techniques, and designs covered in the reading assignments. Students will also engage in problem-solving, group activities, and peer feedback to deepen their grasp of key concepts.
Assessments
Students (in groups of 2) submit a project proposal outlining their project ideas, motivation, methodology, expected outcomes, evaluation metrics, required resources, and anticipated challenges. I'll provide detailed feedback to help them plan a feasible project goal, and evaluate their techniques and system. Students then complete two mid-project reports with feedback sessions involving the course staff. In the final week, students present their project to the class, receiving peer and instructor feedback. To succeed, students need clarity, responsiveness to feedback, effective communication and teamwork, technical depth, and scientific evaluation.
Grading:
Reviews: 20%
Participation via Attendance+Interaction (10%)
Final Project (70%):
Proposal (1-2 pages): 10%
Progress Report 1: 15%
Progress Report 2: 15%
Presentation and Demo: 30%
Important Dates:
Proposal Deadline: Oct 3
Progress Report 1: Nov 7
Progress Report 2: Dec 1
Final Presentation: Dec 9
Attendance and Participation:
We understand that unexpected situations can arise, but we encourage you to attend all lectures to get the most out of the course. Persistent conflicts, like splitting time between this class and another, can disrupt your learning experience and are not allowed. Since this is an in-person course, lectures won’t be recorded, so your presence is key to staying engaged and connected.
Assignments:
For each lecture, there will be assigned readings to complete ahead of time. These readings are carefully chosen to enrich our class discussions and your understanding of the material. To help you engage with the content, we ask that you submit a brief review (1-2 paragraphs) by midnight the night before class through the designated submission page. Don’t worry—life happens, so you can skip one review during the semester without any impact on your grade.