CANCELLED – T4: Beyond Bits – from Age of Information to Goal-Oriented Semantic Networks

Co-chair: Maice Costa, Virginia Tech National Security Institute, USA
Co-chair: Yalin E. Sagduyu, Nexcepta, USA
Co-chair: Sastry Kompella, Nexcepta, USA

Abstract: The concept of semantic communications was introduced by Shannon and Weaver in 1949, but the information theory following their seminal work focused on the accurate transmission of bits, without much concern for their meaning. The interest in semantic communications was revitalized in recent years, given that information attributes can determine data pertinence and be used to tailor data collection and transmission to achieve specific application goals. Timeliness is one of such attributes, and its formal characterization through the definition of Age of Information (AoI) was a catalyst for this renovated interest in semantic communications. Advancements in Machine Learning (ML) and their integration with communication systems also served as catalysts and enablers for semantic-aware communications. The paradigm shift to focus on the precise retrieval of meaning instead of bits requires new theories, protocols, and metrics. The resulting gains in energy and bandwidth efficiency will benefit new intelligent services and support the stringent demands of the next-generation of communication systems (NextG). This tutorial will delve into the theory of semantic communications and goal-oriented networking, providing the participants with an overview of the history of this field, the main concepts and metrics, and the remaining challenges and potential areas of research. We also discuss important related topics, including ML algorithms for semantic communication, and privacy and security concerns. The tutorial is designed for a broad audience, presenting the foundations of semantic communications illustrated by real-life examples with the intention to engage the audience and encourage the exchange of knowledge throughout the session.

Co-chair Bios:

Maice Costa

Bio: Dr. Maice Costa is a Research Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech National Security Institute (VTNSI). She received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park in 2015. Her dissertation focused on the characterization of information timeliness through new metrics that describe the age of information, a concept that has since received a lot of attention for its relevance to communication and control systems. Dr. Costa is the recipient of a Distinguished Graduate Fellowship from the James Clark School of Engineering, as well as the DAAD RISE Professional Scholarship for training in Germany. She was a visiting researcher at the University of Oulu, Finland, an intern at Bell Labs Stuttgart, Germany, and a postdoctoral research fellow at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Prior to joining VTNSI, she was a senior research scientist at Intelligent Automation Inc. (IAI), a BlueHalo Company, where she led several efforts related to information management and decision-making. Her research interests lie at the intersection of data sciences, operations research, and communication technology, applying Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence to support decision-making, with applications to communication networks, autonomous systems, logistics and supply chain.

 

Yalin E. Sagduyu

Bio: Dr. Yalin E. Sagduyu is the Chief Technology Officer of a research and development firm, Nexcepta, where is leading efforts on emerging wireless technologies. He is also a Visiting Research Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, and an Adjust Professor with Virginia Tech National Security Institute. Prior to that, he was a Research Professor with Virginia Tech National Security Institute and the Director of networks and security with Intelligent Automation. He received his Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2007. His research interests include wireless communications, networks, security, and machine learning. He has extensively published in the area of trustworthy machine learning for NextG communications systems. He is an Editor of IEEE Transactions on Communications and an Editor of IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking. He chaired workshops at ACM MobiCom, ACM WiSec, IEEE CNS, and IEEE ICNP. He was a Track Chair at IEEE PIMRC, IEEE GlobalSIP, and IEEE MILCOM, and served in the Organizing Committee of IEEE GLOBECOM and IEEE MILCOM. He gave tutorials at IEEE GLOBECOM, IEEE FNW, IEEE DySPAN, and IEEE MILCOM on various aspects of communications and networks. He was the recipient of IEEE HST 2018 Best Paper Award for his paper on machine learning security.

 

Sastry Kompella

Bio: Dr. Sastry Kompella received the B.E. degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India, in 1996, the M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX in 1998 and the Ph.D. degrees in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2006, respectively. He is a Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of R\&D company Nexcepta, Gaithersburg, MD, USA. Prior to this, he was a Principal Researcher and the Section Head for the Wireless Networks Research Section at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). His research interests include cognitive radio and wireless communications, dynamic spectrum access, network optimization, age of information, and machine learning for RF. He has authored over 190 (six award winning) publications, 14 NRL Reports, one patent, one book, and 5 book chapters. He is an Editor of IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking (ToN). He has been an area chair for IEEE INFOCOM TPC for many years now, has chaired multiple tracks in various IEEE conferences, and had been invited to participate in multiple Panels on RF spectrum and Machine Learning for RF. In the past, he gave multiple tutorials at IEEE MILCOM on cognitive radio and dynamic spectrum access.