The Internet of Things (IoT) will connect billions of objects and devices through global dynamic information exchange. These new connections will reduce costs, create revenue and enhance employee productivity. However, real-world IoT deployment faces the challenges of the disparateness of sensor technologies and the enormous amounts of data that will be generated. Using a research method based on context-aware and user-centric design, the Chairholder of the NSERC/Cisco Industrial Research Chair in Sensor Networks for the IoT, Mohamed Ibnkahla, will investigate innovative algorithms, architectures and communications protocols that will enable real-world deployment and easy adoption of IoT systems.
Ibnkahla’s research will specifically focus on developing optimal strategies for IoT system deployment and building advanced tools for effective IoT resource management. The program will also target a number of applications for smart cities, including smart buildings, smart grid, energy management, safety and urban traffic management.
The research will be conducted in collaboration with Cisco Systems Canada, which will provide guidance, vision and technical support. Cisco will gain expertise in user-centric IoT design and the real-world deployment and integration of IoT technologies. Moreover, the Chair program will lead to a scalable and reconfigurable IoT testbed, offering testing-as-a-service and experience-as-a-service layers that can be used not only by Cisco, but also by end users, government and other organizations.
The Chair will provide hands-on training to students in cutting-edge IoT technologies. The training will closely couple research, practice and business acumen by integrating fundamental research, technology development and professional development. Furthermore, the Chair program will ensure the research significantly benefits Canadians by improving energy efficiency in buildings, optimizing the use of energy and other resources in cities, reducing costs of logistics, improving traffic and enhancing safety.
Ibnkahla is a full professor at the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University. He has an international reputation in wireless communications and IoT systems, having published five books and contributed to more than 150 publications. Throughout his career, he successfully applied IoT technologies to environmental monitoring, water monitoring, food traceability, smart homes, health care, intelligent transportation systems, highway safety, smart grids, industrial IoT, and public safety and emergency response. He has a record of collaboration with industry and government partners and an exceptional capability of engaging researchers and end users across multiple disciplines.