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Dr. Md Mehedi Farhad is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Alabama. He worked as a AERPAW Vehicle Engineer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State University. He completed his Post-Doctoral research at The University of Georgia, where he conducts innovative research in microwave remote sensing and uncrewed aerial and ground vehicular systems. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Mississippi State University in May 2024. During his doctoral research, he was honored with NASA's prestigious Future Investigator of NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST22) research grant, with a total of $150000, which recognized his groundbreaking contributions to the field.
Dr. Farhad’s research pushes the boundaries of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)-based remote sensing, delivering high-resolution, reliable, and real-time environmental data. By integrating GNSS-R, GNSS-T, microwave radiometry, and machine learning with signals of opportunity, his work produces detailed spatiotemporal maps that drive insights for autonomous systems. His data-driven approach enhances precision agriculture, disaster response, climate monitoring, and natural resource management, advancing global situational awareness and informed decision-making in dynamic environments.
Preparing GNSS-R Instrument for Field Measurement on a Mid-Size UAS Platform.
Dr. Farhad served as a Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Port City International University, Bangladesh, from 2016 to 2018. His academic foundation was established with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST). In addition to his academic accomplishments, he gained valuable industry experience as an Assistant Engineer and later as a Testing & Commissioning Engineer at Reverie Power & Automation Engineering Ltd.
His dedication to research and innovation has earned him numerous accolades. In addition to the NASA EARLY CARRIER RESEARCH Award, he was recognized with the Best Graduate Research Award from Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University in March 2024. He also received Bagley College of Engineering Hall of Fame award and ECE Best Graduate Research Award at Mississippi State University in 2023. Over the past six years, he has also contributed to and benefited from competitive grants that have driven significant advancements in engineering and technology.
Dr. Md Mehedi Farhad remains committed to addressing global challenges through cutting-edge research, mentoring future engineers, and fostering collaborations that expand the boundaries of knowledge in UAS, remote sensing, and related fields.
YouTube Channel link: https://www.youtube.com/@mm_farhad
UAS-based GNSS-R Sensor Systems:
Reflected GPS Signals to Estimate Soil Moisture at Sub-field Scale from Small Unmanned Air Craft Systems platform
Soil moisture is a critical variable for agriculture, water management, and climate change research.
Traditional methods for measuring soil moisture are expensive and time-consuming.
Small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) can be used to collect reflected GPS signals and multi-spectral imagery, which can be used to estimate soil moisture.
This study proposes a method for fusing reflected GPS signals and multi-spectral imagery to estimate soil moisture at sub-field scale from UAS platforms.
Spinning GNSS-R Systems: Overcoming Antenna Angular Dependencies
This research explores Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry (GNSS-R) for precision agriculture applications. By leveraging GNSS receivers mounted on small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), we demonstrated a cost-effective way to estimate soil moisture using surface reflectivity. To overcome challenges posed by the irregular radiation patterns of GNSS receiver antennas, we introduced a novel solution: spinning two GNSS receivers, one mounted on a UAS and another on the ground, and analyzing the logarithmic difference in their measurements. This setup minimizes antenna angular dependency and enhances measurement accuracy. Our findings highlight the potential of using spinning GNSS receivers as a ubiquitous GNSS-R system for sub-field scale surface reflectivity mapping, with practical implications for agriculture and environmental monitoring.
UAS-based Dual-Polarized L-band Microwave Radiometer
This study highlights the development of a cost-effective, portable L-band microwave radiometer designed for Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) platforms. The radiometer, equipped with a dual-polarized antenna and a software-defined radio-based receiver, captures high-resolution surface brightness temperature (TB) data crucial for precision agriculture and environmental applications.
Field experiments were conducted over agricultural soil and water bodies, resulting in detailed TB maps that effectively distinguished land-water boundaries and surface features. The system demonstrated exceptional radiometric accuracy, with minimal standard deviation in temperature measurements. Advanced post-processing methods, including time-frequency analyses of in-phase and quadrature (I&Q) samples, enabled the identification and mitigation of radio frequency interference, enhancing measurement reliability.
This innovation bridges the gap between high-resolution remote sensing needs and practical, scalable solutions for agricultural and environmental monitoring.
Pan-Tilt Experiment Setup:
A pan-tilt experiment for GNSS receiver antenna pattern estimation is designed to characterize the spatial sensitivity of the antenna to incoming satellite signals. In this setup, the GNSS receiver's antenna is mounted on a precise pan-tilt mechanism, allowing controlled rotation in azimuth and elevation angles. By systematically sweeping through a predefined range of angles, the experiment measures the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or carrier-to-noise density ratio (C/N0) of GNSS signals from multiple satellites across various directions. The resulting data enables the generation of a detailed antenna gain pattern, illustrating how the antenna's performance varies with incident signal direction. This process is critical for applications requiring high-accuracy GNSS measurements, such as remote sensing or precise navigation, as it ensures optimal antenna design and configuration tailored to specific operational requirements.
IMPRESS Lab Drone Station in The Department of ECE at The Mississippi State University
IMPRESS Lab Drone Station in The Department of ECE at The Mississippi State University
IMPRESS Lab Drone Station in The Department of ECE at The Mississippi State University
IMPRESS Lab Drone Station in The Department of ECE at The Mississippi State University
Mid-Size Quad Copter with Gimbal and Smartphone as Payload
Mid-Size Quad Copter with Gimbal and Smartphone as Payload
Small Quad Copter with 18 inch Ground Plane and U-blox GNSS Receiver as Payload.
Small Quad Copter with 18 inch Ground Plane and U-blox GNSS Receiver as Payload.
Small Quad Copter Autonomous Landing Test using QR Code-Based Tracking System.
Small Quad Copter Autonomous Landing Test using QR Code-Based Tracking System.
Boston Dynamics SPOT equipped with GNSS-T receiver system, ready to deploy in the forested area for VOD measurement.
Boston Dynamics SPOT equipped with GNSS-T receiver system, ready to deploy in the forested area for VOD measurement.
Custom made tracked rover with GNSS-T receiver sensors as payload attachment.
Custom made tracked rover with GNSS-T receiver sensors as payload attachment.
Custom made wheeled rover with LiDAR and RTK GNSS system as payload.
Custom made wheeled rover with LiDAR and RTK GNSS system as payload.
Y-Hex Copter with Extended Arm-Type Payload Attachment for GNSS-R Sensing System
Y-Hex Copter with Extended Arm-Type Payload Attachment for GNSS-R Sensing System
Mid-Size Quad Copter with U-blox GNSS Receiver as Payload Attached Under the 18 inch Ground Plane.
Mid-Size Quad Copter with U-blox GNSS Receiver as Payload Attached Under the 18 inch Ground Plane.
L-band Microwave Radiometer Bench-Top Setup
L-band Microwave Radiometer Bench-Top Setup
L-Band Microwave Radiometer Antenna Attached on the Quad Copter at a 45 Degree Angle.
L-Band Microwave Radiometer Antenna Attached on the Quad Copter at a 45 Degree Angle.
Small Quad Copter and GNSS-R Receiver Payload Attachment at IMPRESS Lab
Small Quad Copter and GNSS-R Receiver Payload Attachment at IMPRESS Lab
P-Band Root-Zone Soil Moisture Estimation Receiver System on a Octa-Copter Drone.
P-Band Root-Zone Soil Moisture Estimation Receiver System on a Octa-Copter Drone.
LiDAR Based Obstacle Avoidance System on a Small Quad Copter.
LiDAR Based Obstacle Avoidance System on a Small Quad Copter.
Fully Assembled Foldable Small Quad Copter with GNSS-R Receiver System under the 18 inch Ground Plane.
Fully Assembled Foldable Small Quad Copter with GNSS-R Receiver System under the 18 inch Ground Plane.
Testing Small Quad Copter Inside the Lab for First-Time Balanced Flight Test.
Testing Small Quad Copter Inside the Lab for First-Time Balanced Flight Test.
GNSS-T Setup on the Custom Tracked Rover Platform, Ready to Deploy in the Forested Area.
GNSS-T Setup on the Custom Tracked Rover Platform, Ready to Deploy in the Forested Area.
Six-Wheeled Heavy Suspension Gimbal Rover Equipped with the GNSS-T Receiver System.
Six-Wheeled Heavy Suspension Gimbal Rover Equipped with the GNSS-T Receiver System.
Campus Wide Outreach Activities, Introducing Robotic System to the Engineering and Non-Engineering Students.
Campus Wide Outreach Activities, Introducing Robotic System to the Engineering and Non-Engineering Students.
GNSS-T Receiver System on the Boston-Dynamics SPOT Rover at the NASA-JPL SMAPVEX22 Field Experiment at Massachusetts and Millbrook New York.
GNSS-T Receiver System on the Boston-Dynamics SPOT Rover at the NASA-JPL SMAPVEX22 Field Experiment at Massachusetts and Millbrook New York.
GNSS-T Receiver System on the Custom Rover Platform Deployed Infront of the Forested Area inside the CAVS Forest.
GNSS-T Receiver System on the Custom Rover Platform Deployed Infront of the Forested Area inside the CAVS Forest.
Tracked Rover and SPOT at the SMAPVEX22 Field Experiment.
Tracked Rover and SPOT at the SMAPVEX22 Field Experiment.
Testing Receiver Antenna Attached Under the Mid-Side Quad Copter Platform
Testing Receiver Antenna Attached Under the Mid-Side Quad Copter Platform
P-Band Root-Zone Soil Moisture Retrieval Receiver System on the Octa-Copter Setup Testing inside the IMPRESS Lab at Mississippi State University.
P-Band Root-Zone Soil Moisture Retrieval Receiver System on the Octa-Copter Setup Testing inside the IMPRESS Lab at Mississippi State University.
P-Band Octa-Copter setup testing at out door.
P-Band Octa-Copter setup testing at out door.
JACKAL with LiDAR for obstacle avoidance.
JACKAL with LiDAR for obstacle avoidance.
HUSKY with LiDAR, depth camera and multispectral camera.
HUSKY with LiDAR, depth camera and multispectral camera.
GNSS Reflectometry Using Survey Grade (IFEN) GNSS receivers.
Pan-Tilt Mechanism to test the GNSS antenna radiation pattern
Pan-tilt Experiment Setup
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