Events for the 5th week of September
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Joint CSC@USC/CommNetS-MHI Seminar
Mon, Sep 24, 2018 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: James Anderson, California Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Private Models and Distributed Control of Networked Systems
Abstract: Designing controllers to make networked systems autonomous is perhaps the most dominant problem in systems engineering. Distributed control, which is already a challenging task, is only part of the problem. In this talk, I will present recently developed theory and algorithms for synthesizing optimal distributed controllers via convex programming. The theory uses the notion of locality in a manner that ensures the synthesis complexity grows gracefully with the number of states in the network model. Recent robust extensions will also be presented. The remainder of the talk will focus on privacy and how it interacts with this notion of locality. In particular, we are concerned with how to build models from data that, for example, may contain sensitive information. We present a framework based on aggregation and differential privacy that will encourage information owners to contribute their data while ensuring certain privacy guarantees. It will be shown how the topology of the network and the sensitivity of a specific linear program influence the achievable privacy levels.
Biography: James Anderson is a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the California Institute of Technology. He obtained a DPhil (PhD) in Engineering Science from the University of Oxford, UK and the BSc and MSc degrees in Systems Engineering from the University of Reading UK. Prior to Caltech, he held a Junior Research Fellowship in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford and St John's College where he was based in the Control Group. His research interests include distributed control, convex optimization, and privacy preserving computation with applications in autonomy and cyber-physical systems - specifically power grids.
Host: Ketan Savla, ksavla@usc.edu
More Info: http://csc.usc.edu/seminars
More Information: 18.09.24 James Anderson CSCUSC Seminar.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Brienne Moore
Event Link: http://csc.usc.edu/seminars
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Trojan Blockchain Society & CCI presents
Mon, Sep 24, 2018 @ 06:30 PM - 08:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jason Lee, Director - NEM Foundation
Talk Title: Get to know the NEM Blockchain @ USC
Abstract: Welcome to an engagement on demystifying what blockchain is and explore how this revolutionary technology is changing the world. This discussion will also focus on the NEM blockchain and will be facilitated by Jason Lee.
This is done with USC through the auspices of the Trojan Blockchain Society and the Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and the Internet of Things center in the Viterbi School of Engineering which is doing research on blockchain (please see blockchain.usc.edu)
Biography: Jason is the Expansion Director for Australia and New Zealand with NEM Foundation based in Melbourne, Australia. NEM is a global blockchain protocol with a presence in over 40 countries.
Recently acknowledged in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list, he has banking experience and has been a speaker, judge, mentor, consultant and investor in startups and is familiar with working with the private and public sector including regulators and incubator & accelerator programmes.
Jason will share his experience having traveled to 20 cities in the last one year on the progression of blockchain technology followed by an informal discussion in developing more understanding of this area.
For more information about the NEM Foundation and its mission.
Host: Bhaskar Krishnamachari, CCI
More Info: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/get-to-know-the-nem-blockchain-usc-tickets-50259665011
More Information: 18.09.24_TrojanBlockchain_NEMFlyer.pdf
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Brienne Moore
Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/get-to-know-the-nem-blockchain-usc-tickets-50259665011
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Intelligent Intersections Reduce Crashes and Will Support the Safe Introduction of Autonomous Vehicles
Wed, Sep 26, 2018 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Pravin Varaiya , University of California Berkeley
Talk Title: Intelligent Intersections Reduce Crashes and Will Support the Safe Introduction of Autonomous Vehicles
Series: Center for Cyber-Physical Systems and Internet of Things
Abstract: Intersections are dangerous. Approximately 40% of all crashes, 50% of serious collisions, and 20% of fatalities occur in intersections. Intersections are challenging due to complex interactions among pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles; absence of lane markings; difficulty in determining who has the right of way; blind spots; and illegal movements (e.g., vehicles running red lights). Many cities in California have developed Vision Zero plans, seeking to eliminate traffic injuries and deaths through physical modifications to the road infrastructure, such as adding bike lanes and refuge islands for pedestrians. However, these modifications can be expensive (e.g., a protected intersection can cost between $250,000 to more than a $1 million dollars) and have mixed safety results.
Autonomous vehicle (AV) manufacturers claim they will prevent 94% of all crashes involving human error. However, the safety performance of AVs today is far below that of human-driven cars. The number of accidents and disengagements per AV mile traveled is 13 to 100 times worse than that of human drivers. The AV fatality rate is equally as bad. AVs find intersections especially challenging; 58 of 66 (88%) AV crashes reported to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) during 10/2014-4/2018 occurred in intersections.
Crashes in intersections occur because vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists are missing critical information. Intelligent intersections can provide this information at a relatively low cost of $25,000 and $100,000 per intersection. Intelligent intersections report the traffic signal from all approaches; predict when the signal phase will change; relay information on blind spots; and predict red light violations before they occur. This information is broadcast via radio received by everyone in the intersection with a smartphone or Bluetooth device.
Biography: Pravin Varaiya is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. His current research is devoted to transportation networks and electric energy systems. Varaiya has received the Field Medal of the IEEE Control Systems Society, and the Outstanding Researcher Award of the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society. He is a Fellow of IEEE, a Fellow of IFAC, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Host: Professor Rahul Jain
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Talyia White
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Munushian Seminar - Ali Hajimiri, Friday, September 28th at 2pm in EEB 132
Fri, Sep 28, 2018 @ 02:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Ali Hajimiri, California Institute of Technology
Talk Title: Title: 1, 2, 3, infinity: The Power of Groups
Abstract: Many of today's technological marvels have emerged from putting apparently unrelated ideas together and creating something more than the sum of the parts. There is a tremendous still-to-be-realized potential in a large number of units operating as a collective, be it in a human society or on a silicon chip. Silicon integrated chips have come a long way from the days of first transistors. Nowadays, we can design using practically unlimited number of components, which leads to a plethora of new opportunities of applications and system, previously unimaginable. In this talk, we will discuss a holistic design approach to electronic and photonic integrated circuits leading to further proliferation of such technologies into our daily lives. We will discuss some of its exciting results, including low-cost tera-hertz imagers, optical gyroscopes, nanophotonic coherent cameras capable of forming 3D images, optical phased arrays, and space-based solar power transfer to name a few.
Biography: Professor Hajimiri's group does research on electronics and photonics integrated circuits and their applications in various disciplines, including high-frequency and high-speed communications, sensing, imaging, and bio-sensing. His research group engages in both the theoretical analysis
of the problems in integrated circuits as well as practical implementations of new systems.
Prof. Ali Hajimiri received his B.S. degree in Electronics Engineering from the Sharif University of Technology, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Stanford University.
Before joining the Faculty of Caltech, he worked at Philips Semiconductors, where he worked on a BiCMOS chipset for GSM and cellular units, at Sun Microsystems working on the UltraSPARC microprocessor's cache RAM design methodology, and with Lucent Technologies (Bell Labs), Murray Hill, NJ, where he investigated low-phase-noise integrated oscillators.
In 1998, he joined the Faculty of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, where he is Bren Professor of Electrical Engineering and Medical Engineering, Director of Caltech Holistic Integrated Circuit Laboratory, and co-Director of the Space-based Solar Power Project. His research interests are high-speed and high-frequency electronics and photonics integrated circuits for applications in sensors, biomedical devices, photonics, and communication systems.
Host: EE-Electrophysics
More Info: https://minghsiehee.usc.edu/about/lectures/munushian/
Location: Hughes Aircraft Electrical Engineering Center (EEB) - 132
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Marilyn Poplawski
Event Link: https://minghsiehee.usc.edu/about/lectures/munushian/