³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾

NSF backs first community platform for smarter wireless

Rice University researchers have received a to develop an open-source platform to meet the urgent need of developing and validating machine-learning (ML) based innovations for future wireless networks and mobile applications.

Yingyan Lin

The goal of the project led by , an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice’s , is to develop a first-of-its-kind community platform to turbo-charge the research process of inventing novel ML-based techniques for intelligent wireless network management and optimization.

“Two of the biggest challenges in leveraging machine learning are the availability of large, diverse and labeled public datasets, and platforms to evaluate a new method in lifelike deployment,” Lin said. “ will solve both problems by leveraging Rice’s unique strengths in two complementary areas: embedded machine learning and large-scale wireless research platforms.”

“ has been a leader in theory and development of next-generation wireless networks, and our concurrent NSF project developing the platform will beautifully complement the 3DML project,” said , the Ernest Dell Butcher Professor of Engineering and a professor and chair of electrical and computer engineering at Rice, a co-principal investigator on 3DML and lead investigator on RENEW.

Ashutosh Sabharwal

Ashutosh Sabharwal

Joseph Cavallaro

Joseph Cavallaro

The researchers say 3DML will be the first platform designed from the ground up to facilitate the development of ML-based innovations for wireless networks.

They claim 3DML will advance next-generation intelligent wireless networks, including enhanced mobile broadband, a massive Internet of Things and ultralow-latency applications. These will support emerging applications like multiaccess for , and virtual core solutions.

All of the developed datasets, tools and libraries will be released at .

“Wireless internet is an integral part of a nation’s infrastructure, and as networks become more complex and diverse, we need new methods to manage and protect these networks,” Lin said. “To invent those ideas, researchers need agile and flexible tools, and 3DML will provide those tools.”

Ang Chen

Ang Chen

Rahman Doost-Mohammady

Rahman Doost-Mohammady

To achieve those goals, Lin is partnering with researchers at Rice and the University of Texas at Austin. They include Rice colleagues , a professor of electrical and computer engineering and of computer science; , an assistant research professor of electrical and computer engineering; and , an assistant professor of computer science, and , an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Texas.

An educational component of the grant will provide for workshops, online courses and internships for undergraduate and graduate student at Rice and beyond, as well as for industry.

/Public Release. View in full .