• Dr. Pankaj K. Sharma is leading the Wireless Communications and Aerial Networks (WiCAN) research group at Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NIT Rourkela, India. The WiCAN lab is equipped with the state-of-art computing machines along with the necessary softwares auch as Mathematica, Matlab, etc., required for analytical modeling and simulation of wireless networks. The WiCAN lab is developed from the financial support received under a project entitled "Performance Evaluation and Optimization of UAV-enabled Cellular Communications" sponsored by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST, GoI. The current research activities at WiCAN lab include the analytical modeling and performance analysis of three-dimensional (3-D) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks, satellite networks, and cognitive radio networks over physical layer. Besides, the cross-layer approaches are also in focus for interference mitigation in aforementioned wireless/UAV networks. It involves optimal resource allocation, sum-rate maximization, energy-efficiency maximization, trajectory planning, mobility control, etc. Also, at WiCAN lab, the recent thrust is on Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces-assisted wireless communications and Ambient Backscatter Communications. The research outcomes of WiCAN lab are expected to leverage the futuristic sixth-generation (6G) and beyond wireless technologies.   

• WiCAN Lab Address: Room No. EC-224, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, NIT Rourkela.

• Project Title: Performance Evaluation and Optimization of UAV-Enabled Cellular Communications.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Pankaj Kumar Sharma

Agency: Start-up Research Grant (SRG), Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST, Govt. of India.

Budget: INR 13,50,760 /- 

Duration: 2.5 Years (Dec. 2019-June 2022).

Status: Completed

• Project Title: Drone-Enabled Future Cellular Communications.

Principal Investigator: Dr. Pankaj Kumar Sharma

Agency: Research Seed Grant, NIT Rourkela.

Budget: INR 2,00,000 /-

• Byomakesh Mahapatra, UAV-assisted C-RAN, Jan. 2021-Oct. 2021.

• Anuradha Verma, Ph.D., UAV-assisted Wireless Communications, Jan. 2020-continue.

• Sanjana Sahoo, Ph.D., RIS-assisted Wireless Communications, Sep. 2020-continue.

• Mohammad Ali, Ph.D., Ambient Backscatter Communications, Jan. 2021-continue.

• Darapaneni Deepthi, M.Tech., Outage Performance of 3D UAV Relaying for Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial Networks, May 2019, Graduated.

• Manorama  Dinkar, M.Tech., Estimating Sparse Multipath Channel Via Compressed Sensing, May 2019, Graduated.

• Nithin Padidala, M.Tech. (Dual degree), Hybrid Satellite-Terrestrial Spectrum Sharing System in the Presence of Co-Channel Interference, May 2019, Graduated.

• Budharam Yogesh, M.Tech., Performance Analysis of Satellite-Terrestrial Networks in the Presence of Interference, May 2020, Graduated.

• Tsering Lamo, M.Tech., Secrecy Performance Analysis of UAV Relay Networks, May 2020, Graduated.

• Gannamani Raveendra, M.Tech., Performance Comparison of Ground User Association Algorithms for UAV Communications, May 2020, Graduated.

• T. Sambit Suranjan, M.Tech. (Dual degree), Cooperative Satellite-Aerial-Terrestrial Networks with Correlated Satellite Antennas, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Parth Ashara, M.Tech., Outage Probability of Ambient Backscatter Communications in Clustered Networks, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Bala Krishna Murthy Jonnalagadda, M.Tech., Downlink Performance Analysis of UAV-based Millimeter-wave Wireless Networks, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Gedela Jaswanth, M.Tech., Performance Analysis of Energy Harvesting-based Satellite-Aerial-Terrestrial Networks, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Gadge Prasanna Chandrashekhar, M.Tech., Performance Analysis of Cache-enabled UAVs in Small Cell Networks, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Ranjan Patel, M.Tech. (Dual degree), Performance Analysis of Small Cell Drone Networks, 2020-2021, Graduated. 

• Sandesh Narayan Joshi, M.Tech., Secrecy Outage Probability of Backscatter Communication Systems with Tag Selection, 2021-2022, Graduated.

• Adyasha Gargy Pradhan, M.Tech., Outage Performance Analysis of HSATNs with Energy Harvesting at the Relay, 2021-2022, Graduated.

• Kavya Reddy Kondapu, M.Tech., Outage Performance Analysis of Aerial Terrestrial Networks with C-NOMA, 2021-2022, Graduated.

• Nallana Keerthana, M.Tech., Outage Performance Analysis of Wireless-Powered Relaying based MIMO Aerial-Terrestrial Systems, 2022-23, Graduated.

• Gollapalli Gayathri Sireesha, M.Tech., Outage Performance Analysis of RIS Assisted UAV RF Energy Harvesting Wireless Networks, 2022-23, Graduated.

• Gourav Kumar Keshri, M.Tech., Performance Analysis of Ambient Backscatter Communication Systems with Hardware Impairments over Nakagami-m Fading Channel,  2022-23, Graduated.

• Singh Arti Prayag, M.Tech., Outage Analysis of UAV-Aided Underlaid Ambient Backscatter Communication with Linear Energy Harvesting, 2023-24, Graduated. 

• Anubhav Singh, M.Tech., Performance Analysis of Satellite-Aerial-Terrestrial Networks with Mixed THz-RF Communication,  2023-24, Graduated. 

• Muskan Gupta, M.Tech., Performance Analysis of NOMA Integrated Satellite-HAP-Terrestrial Networks with Imperfect SIC using TAS and MRC,  2024-25, Graduated. 

• Gandham Sai Niharika Naidu, B.Tech., Design of AWGN Channel Emulator, May 2019, Graduated.

• Sabbavarapu Gagana Sindhu, B.Tech., Design of AWGN Channel Emulator, May 2019, Graduated.

• Bujala Bhanu Prakash Reddy, B.Tech., Channel Estimation for Visible Light Communications, May 2019, Graduated.

• Payal Das, B.Tech., Optimal User Association for UAV Communications, May 2020, Graduated.

• Inti Sravya, B.Tech., Optimal User Association for UAV Communications, May 2020, Graduated.

• Mohammad Shafiq Rahimi, B.Tech., Performance Study of UAV Relaying for Satellite Networks, July 2020, Graduated.

• Jaswanth Bodempudi, B.Tech., Performance Evaluation of Large Scale-deployed Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces in Wireless Networks, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Nalamalapu Pramod Reddy, B.Tech., Reinforcement Learning-based Ambient Backscatter Communication Systems, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Ishaan Wassan, B.Tech., Performance Evaluation of UAV-enabled Cellular Networks, 2020-2021, Graduated.

• Aatreyo Shashwat De, B.Tech., Performance study of NOMA based mmWave networks, 2021-2022, Graduated.

• Tushar Kumar Giri, B.Tech., Outage Perfermance Study of Cooperative mm-Wave UAV Communications, 2022-2023, Graduated.

• Sitanshu Ravi, B.Tech., Outage Performance Study of Millimeter Wave based Cooperative UAV Communications, 2022-2023, Graduated.

• Gaurav Oraon, B.Tech., Study of Cooperative System with Unreliable Backhauls and Selection Combining, 2022-2023, Graduated.

• Jyothika Dhanekula, B.Tech., A Study on Beamforming and Power Allocation in NOMA-Based Multibeam Satellite Systems, 2022-2023, Graduated.

• Mrutyunjay Swain, B.Tech., Downlink Coverage Analysis for a Finite 3D Wireless Network of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, 2024-2025, Graduated.