Research Experiences for Undergraduates in
Mobile Cyber-Physical Systems

The site is co-funded by the Department of Defense in partnership with the NSF REU program

An Overview

This summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) is open to 10 undergraduates from across the U.S. to be held at Texas State for 10 weeks over the summer. The purpose of this REU is to engage undergraduate students in research and inspire them for graduate and research careers. Funding ($5000 stipend plus additional benefits) is provided from an NSF CISE award. Women, veterans, and underrepresented minorities are especially encouraged to apply. This REU is hosted by the Networking group in the Computer Science Dept.

The Research Theme

The main theme of this opportunity is in the general area of Mobile Cyber-Physical Systems. A Mobile CPS refers to a system composed of physical and computation components that are mobile and can communicate over a network. A swarm of robots is an example of a Mobile CPS. Users roaming with their cell phones is another example of a mobile CPS. Here are few example applications:

  • Target tracking, search and rescue and border control
  • Intelligent transportation systems and vehicular networks
  • Sensing with mobile nodes
This summer REU will focus on the following broad areas of mobile CPSs:
  • Modeling and analysis of cyber-physical interactions
  • Mobile devices and embedded software platforms
  • Mobile cyber-physical applications and services
  • Energy efficient computation and communication
  • Wireless networking and mobile communication
  • Firmware security for embedded devices
  • Wireless security in vehicular networks and robotics
The projects will be conducted in our Mobile CPS Lab that is equipped with various robots (e.g., iRobots and Surveyor SRV-1 robots) and sensors (e.g., MICAz sensors).

The Setup

Each student will work closely with one of the faculty mentors on a specific research project for the duration of the program. Weekly meetings will bring all the students and mentors together to exchange ideas and ensure progress. Various activities are planned throughout the summer (e.g., tutorials, seminars, industry visits, picnics, etc...).

Important dates:
Applications due.....1 Mar 2014
Notifications.........15 Mar 2014
Program starts........2 Jun 2014
Program ends.........8 Aug 2014

Benefits:
$5000 stipend
Travel (up to $600)
Housing and meals included

Useful links:

Contact us:
Dr. Mina Guirguis
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78640
msg@txstate.edu
512-245-6384

Dr. Qijun Gu
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78640
qijun@txstate.edu
512-245-3518
Page last updated June 2014