CNRS Research Director (Professor), Paris-Saclay University
Marco Di Renzo is a CNRS Research Director (Professor) and the Head of the Intelligent Physical Communications in the Laboratory of Signals and Systems at Paris-Saclay University - CNRS and CentraleSupelec. He serves as the Coordinator of the Communications and Networks Area of the Laboratory of Excellence DigiCosme, and as a Member of the Admission and Evaluation Committee of the Ph.D. School of Paris-Saclay University. He is a Fulbright Fellow at City University of New York, USA; a Fellow of IEEE, IET, AAIA, Vebleo; an Ordinary Member of EASA and the Academia Europaea; and a Highly Cited Researcher. He received the 2022 Michel Monpetit Prize from the French Academy of Sciences. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Communications Letters.
Keynote Title: Reconfigurable Intelligent and Holographic Surfaces for Wireless Communications
Abstract: A Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) is a planar structure that is engineered to have properties that enable the dynamic control of the electromagnetic waves. In wireless communications and networks, RISs are an emerging technology for realizing programmable and reconfigurable wireless propagation environments through nearly passive and tunable signal transformations. RIS-assisted programmable wireless environments are a multidisciplinary research endeavor. This presentation is aimed to report the latest research advances on modeling, analyzing, and optimizing RISs for wireless communications with focus on electromagnetically consistent models, analytical frameworks, and optimization algorithms. In addition, the interplay between RISs and holographic surface-based transceivers will be discussed with focus on near-field communications in line-of-sight channels.
Senior Research Scientist for Intelligent Systems, ARL
Brian M. Sadler is the Senior Research Scientist for Intelligent Systems at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL). He is a principal investigator and research manager, focused on multi-agent intelligent systems. He has been an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer for the Signal Processing and Communications Societies and an editor for a variety of publications including the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, IEEE Transactions on Robotics, and the IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing. He is an ARL Fellow, IEEE Life Fellow, and received the Presidential Rank Award in 2021.
Keynote Title: Going Long: The Future of Low Frequency Communications
Abstract: In this talk we consider how low frequency wireless communications will evolve and become integrated into wireless networking systems. Cellular 6G will add higher frequency operation to the multi-radio mix, providing high-bandwidth in line-of-sight conditions with miniature arrays that can be matched with intelligent reflective surfaces and be used by autonomous air and ground vehicles. In the future, the desire for penetration and persistent robust connectivity in dense and cluttered environments will lead to the incorporation of low-bandwidth low-frequency radios. Evolving low frequency standards will build upon advances in electrically small antennas, cognitive networking, and multi-agent autonomy. The resulting addition of low frequency radios will enable new tools for ad hoc networks for disaster response, topology tracking and network management, indoor/outdoor operations, sensing and situational awareness, and autonomous vehicle networking.
Professor at Aalborg University
Petar Popovski is a Professor at Aalborg University, where he heads the section on Connectivity and a Visiting Excellence Chair at the University of Bremen. He received his Dipl.-Ing and M. Sc. degrees in communication engineering from the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje and the Ph.D. degree from Aalborg University in 2005. He is a Fellow of the IEEE. He received an ERC Consolidator Grant (2015), the Danish Elite Researcher award (2016), IEEE Fred W. Ellersick prize (2016), IEEE Stephen O. Rice prize (2018), Technical Achievement Award from the IEEE Technical Committee on Smart Grid Communications (2019), the Danish Telecommunication Prize (2020) and Villum Investigator Grant (2021). He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of IEEEE JOURNAL ON SELECTED AREAS IN COMMUNICATIONS. Prof. Popovski was the General Chair for IEEE SmartGridComm 2018 and IEEE Communication Theory Workshop 2019. His research interests are in communication theory and wireless connectivity. He authored the book ``Wireless Connectivity: An Intuitive and Fundamental Guide'', published by Wiley in 2020.
Keynote Title: Communication Models and Protocols: Syntax, Semantics, Pragmatics
Abstract: Wireless connectivity augments human capabilities beyond their natural domain, enabling operation and interaction with objects and subjects placed within an extended space-time domain. This talk will relate the notions of semantics and effectiveness of data transmission to the real-time aspects of communication. We will discuss the general concept of timing in wireless communication systems and networks and its relation to effective information generation, processing, transmission, and reconstruction at the senders and receivers. Starting from latency, a specific instance of timing being in the focus of 5G, the talk will present a statistical framework of timing requirements in wireless systems. This framework can accommodate various notions of correctness, semantics, and effectiveness of information transfer. The talk will discuss how timing can be optimized in various communication models, ranging from point-to-point links and up to models for distributed learning/inference and consensus.