IEEE Future Directions

The IEEE Software Defined Networks’ eLearning Module “An Introduction to Software Defined Network Security” is the first of two modules and gives an overview of the subject with a quick reminder of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and on the Openflow protocol. Then, the session will provide an introduction to a policy model based security framework that is a great fit to SDN. This presentation will also feature the new risks that SDN introduces and how to mitigate those. And lastly, a recent security concept named Software Defined Security where SDN and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) meet.

A 40 minute webinar on 5G and satellite spectrum and standards reviewing existing WRC 2019 bands identified for 5G and their compatibility/coexistence with GSO, LEO and MEO Ku, K and Ka band satellite spectrum, summary of NEW LEO constellation capabilities including OneWeb and Space X and LEOSAT, spectrum sharing and frequency reuse opportunities implicit in progressive pitch angular power separation and the potential implications for 5G co sharing of satellite K band spectrum, pass bands and channel bandwidth compatibility and physical layer coexistence, present tension points between the NEWLEO entities and incumbent LEO and MEO and GSO operators, the link budget and long distance latency benefits of nearly always nearly overhead (NANO) connectivity when integrated with inter satellite switching, how this could help meet specific 5G vertical market throughput and latency requirements, satellite IOT, present and future technical and commercial trends and standards issues and related 5G and satellite regulatory challenges and opportunities, longer term V and W band co sharing opportunities.

5G is a new communications standard to serve both new and existing markets. As such, 5G comes with high expectations from both mobile operators and consumers. The existing market of mobile phones is no exception. 5G marketing hype is high and pressure to deliver on the billions of dollars spent on 5G spectrum is even higher. Realizing a successful 5G handset deployment comes with significant challenges. We are seeing an unprecedented impact on RF architectures, components, and technologies. Our aim is to first outline some of the complexities derived from the latest 3GPP 5G communications standards. Then, by analyzing macro level handset RF architectures as well as front end module functional blocks, we will describe the resulting RF impacts.

This webinar will introduce the concept of Knowledge-as-a-Service (KaaS). Indeed, KaaS is a computing service that delivers knowledge to users, as opposed to data or information. KaaS enables technologists and engineers to make knowledge live and evolving on the web by allowing users to learn directly from elaborated knowledge, for example, in the form of knowledge graphs.

By merging KaaS with Artificial Intelligence, it is then possible to define the concept of a Cognitive Digital Twin. A complete cognitive digital twin will act similarly to AI that can make its own decisions, process thoughts, and execute actions, just like a real, functioning organism.

This webinar will describe potential scenarios for the utilization of the Cognitive Digital Twin and introduce current activities within IEEE in this area.

During this special two-part webinar, four experts from different disciplines will define the Metaverse in their own terms and delve into potential use-cases for leveraging the Metaverse across a multitude of industries, including public services.

The sequel to IEEE Software Defined Networks’ eLearning Module “An Introduction to Software Defined Network Security,” this second module covers “SDN Security Use Cases.” The presentation highlights some key uses cases in a vast landscape of network security uses cases found in research articles, and in talking to customers and SDN application developers.

The 5G community has set out a beguiling vision of a communications network that is faster, higher capacity, lower latency and able to manage a wide diversity of traffic. But achieving this will require massive investment in small cells, backhaul, new core networks, mobile edge computing and much more. This comes at a time when mobile operators are mostly seeing revenue fall and profitability reduce and are cutting back on investment as a result. 5G proponents are looking to enterprise for new revenue streams, but is this feasible and are there alternatives such as dense Wi-Fi and standalone IoT solutions that could deliver more cost-effectively? This webinar will look at the economics behind 5G and show that there are funding gaps to bridge in many areas.

5G, the next generation cellular standard will cover different usage scenarios covering enhanced mobile broadband (EMBB), ultra-reliable, low latency communication (URLLC) and low power massive machine-to-machine communication (mMTC). Radio interface of mmWave 5G EMBB may have different hardware architecture options both for User Equipments (UE) and infrastructure (like small cell, wireless backhaul). Current talk will focus on key figures of merits for 5G mmWave radio, different hardware architecture and chip partitioning options and how different silicon technologies like partially and fully depleted SOI, Silicon-Germanium BiCMOS can address the requirements for different mmWave 5G radio architectures.

Software-defined, AI-enabled Autonomous Vehicles (AV) require Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) for developing and running AI and XR end-to-end. GPUs enable the technology to apply deep learning algorithms to complex sensor data in order to produce autonomous actions. In addition, GPUs are used for the creation of next-generation augmented reality (AR) interfaces, with information pertaining to points of interest, alerts, navigation, and co-pilot support for drivers.

This webinar will provide an overview of the fundamental characteristics of GPUs required to support new functionalities, including architecture, design, and verification points of view. It will also describe how dependability and functional safety need to be considered in order to provide the required level of trust for GPU computing.

During this special two-part webinar, four experts from different disciplines will define the Metaverse in their own terms and delve into potential use-cases for leveraging the Metaverse across a multitude of industries, including public services.

The IEEE Software Defined Networks’ eLearning Module “An Introduction to Network Function Virtualization (NFV)“ covers the context and meaning of NFV and SDN, focusing on the management and orchestration of virtual network functions and their composition in complex network services. Moving from hardware-based appliances towards software-based artifacts requires a complete redesign of legacy network components. Virtualizing a Network Function using virtualization technologies can be easily achieved. This session provides an overview of the ETSI NFV architecture, focusing on the network services management and orchestration aspects, as well as virtualized resource management. Network Slicing in 5G, and Edge Computing, need to be analyzed for addressing requirements at the infrastructure level. An overview about Cloud-Native applications principles and microservices approaches will be given. Those principles are the basis for building highly reliable network services in each of those use cases. This first module will conclude with the benefits and challenges for Network Operators who are currently moving towards this paradigm.

5G, the next generation of wireless networks, needs to accommodate massive data traffic, large user numbers, high reliability, and yet provide great energy efficiency. When talking about 5G-enabling technologies, there is much fuss about millimeter wave communications, which is the ideal approach for delivering high data rates over short distances. However, the mmWave operation is inherently unreliable and unsuitable for wide-area coverage. To satisfy all the 5G requirements, we also need to make major improvements in the network operation at conventional cellular frequency bands, below 6 GHz. Massive MIMO is the name of multiantenna technologies that use access points with hundreds of antenna elements. Massive MIMO was conceived as the way to deliver very high spectral efficiency in bands below 6 GHz, using spatial multiplexing of tens of users per cell. In recent years, Massive MIMO has gone from being a mind-blowing theoretical concept to one of the most promising 5G-enabling technologies; several world records in spectral efficiency have been set by Massive MIMO testbeds. The use of arrays with many antennas creates the phenomenon of channel hardening, which means that the rapid fading variations that normally haunt wireless links are averaged out, leading to high link reliability. Furthermore, the array gain provided by the directive transmissions allow for reduced transmit powers, which is an enabler for low-power nodes. In this talk, I will explain the basics of Massive MIMO and the importance of implementing it in the right way in order to reap all the benefits that the technology can deliver. I will exemplify how to achieve high spectral efficiency, great link reliability, and low-power operation.

Understanding the neural basis of brain function and dysfunction may inform the design of effective therapeutic interventions for brain disorders and mental illnesses. Optical techniques have been recently developed for structural and functional imaging as well as targeted stimulation of neural circuits. One of the challenges of optical modality is light delivery deep into the brain tissue in a non-invasive or at least minimally invasive way. Scattering and absorption prevents deep penetration of light in tissue and limits light-based methods to superficial layers of the tissue. To overcome this challenge, implantable photonic waveguides such as optical fibers or graded-index (GRIN) lenses have been used to deliver light into the tissue or collect photons for imaging. Existing large and rigid optical waveguides cause damage to the brain tissue and vasculature. In this talk, Dr. Maysam Chamanzar will discuss his research on developing next generation optical neural interfaces. First, Dr. Chamanzar will introduce a novel compact flexible photonic platform based on biocompatible polymers, Parylene C and PDMS, and GaN active light sources for optogenetic stimulation of neural circuits with high spatiotemporal resolution. This photonic platform can be monolithically integrated with implantable neural probes. Then, Dr. Chamanzar will discuss his recent work on developing a novel complementary approach to guide and steer light in the brain using non-invasive ultrasound. Dr. Chamanzar will show that ultrasound waves can sculpt virtual graded-index (GRIN) waveguides in the tissue to define and steer the trajectory of light without physically implanting optical waveguides in the brain. These novel neurophotonic techniques enable high-throughput bi-directional interfacing with the brain to understand the neural basis of brain function and design next generation neural prostheses.

In this webinar, Professor Roberto Poli describes three megatrends, the related windows of opportunity (when available), and exemplifies their countertrends.

During this free, virtual webinar, Roberto Saracco, IEEE Digital Reality co-chair, explained Personal Digital Twins. The concept of applying Digital Twins to model a person is already underway, but very few have attempted to model a whole person—the physical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral aspects.

The sequel to the first module which provides an introduction to Network Function Virtualization (NFV), this IEEE Software Defined Networks’ eLearning module offers an overview of the Open Baton Open Source Framework. The module is structured into two major parts. First, it presents the NFV ecosystem as it is today. This part will also cover all the available open source technologies and their architectures which are compliant and relevant in the NFV ecosystem. Second, the module focuses on the Open Baton project: its architecture, functionalities and roadmap are extensively discussed.

The 5G network promises massive bandwidths and low latencies, but none will come to fruition without major paradigm shifts in network power architecture/distribution/utilization. 5G is a unique case study because it brings together many cutting-edge aspects of today's cloud-focused world. It is dependent on cohesion from the edge to the core network with the latest in data center technology (i.e. - Software-defined/virtualized everything). In between, there are heterogeneous networks of small cells operating in licensed/unlicensed spectrum via massive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) arrays of antennas required to enable millimeter wave transmission for billions of users. Power is the absolute gatekeeper for enabling 5G whether it be precise management of smartphone battery usage/charging, envelope tracking signals to optimize efficiency for the power amplifier (PA) at either ends, or intelligent power management in the data center to allow for unprecedented volumes of data processing/transmission to occur in footprints practical enough to sit around neighborhoods.

Although 5G is changing the mobile communications game, there is one gap that need to be surpassed, which is the connectivity in remote areas. This application scenario has important social and economic impacts and 5G should be able to address its requirements in the near future. Billions of people live in uncovered or underserved areas, unable to enjoy the benefits of the Digital Era. A reliable and cost accessible 5G for Remote Areas Network would offer the opportunity for these people to be included in the digital world, opening new markets for operators and new opportunities for vendors. Also, agribusiness is demanding higher efficiency from the fields and the ability to collect data and remotely control the machinery and systems (such as watering) is essential for improving productivity in farms. The aim of this webinar is to discuss the possibilities for 5G to support and address the remote area networks requirements and to present the major technologies that can help in this challenging task.

Optogenetics has transformed experimental neuroscience by manipulating the activity of specific cell types with light, enabling in vivo neuromodulation with millisecond temporal resolution. Visible light with wavelengths between 430 nm and 640 nm is used for optogenetics, limiting penetration depth in vivo and resulting in an invasive fiber-tethered interface that damages the endogenous neural tissue and constrains the animal’s free behavior. In this talk, Dr. Guosong Hong will present two recent methods to address this challenge: "sono-optogenetics" and "macromolecular infrared nanotransducers for deep-brain stimulation (MINDS)". In the first method, we demonstrate that mechanoluminescent nanoparticles can act as circulation-delivered nanotransducers to convert sound into light for noninvasive optogenetic neuromodulation in live mice. In the second method, we demonstrate 1064-nm near-infrared-II light can penetrate the brain to reach 5-mm depths for modulating neural activity in tether-free, freely behaving animals. Dr. Hong will present an outlook on how new optical neural interfaces may advance neuroscience research by reducing the invasiveness and mechanical restraints in live animals and even humans.

The market opportunity for digital twins and other forms of advanced visualization is significant -- with demonstrated potential to transform the world of work as we know it. While attention around the potential of the metaverse has put a greater focus on all types of mixed reality technology, AR represents an immediate opportunity for businesses to enhance productivity and improve operational efficiency.

This IEEE Software Defined Networks’ eLearning Module “Contrail: Cloud Network Automation” gives an overview of Contrail, a product of Juniper Networks, and is designed for network administrators, operators and developers. For example, network admins will learn how they can use Contrail, while developers can see how Contrail enables them to consume networks in an abstracted simple and orchestrated fashion. The module will start with looking at the trends and challenges that are prompting enterprises and service providers to implement Contrail; then, examine Contrail’s major features and look at how they fit in with those industry trends and customer challenges.

As the Internet of Things moves closer and closer to mainstream, and the potential impact on our organizations becomes clearer, the challenges uncovered through numerous pilots and early production systems are becoming clear as well. In his presentation, Don will explore these challenges that often have less to do with technology, and more to do with people, organizations, architecture, and somewhat nuanced but no less critical considerations of security, privacy, and data ownership. The challenges in moving from early stages of the Internet of Things into mainstream production can demand a broad level of understanding and thoughtful leadership in order to truly leverage IoT's value in a resilient manner.

The human visual system consists of a hierarchy of areas, each of which represents different features of the visual world. Recent studies have revealed that most brain areas--and even many individual neurons--represent information about multiple visual features. Thus, a complete model of the brain must specify the relative importance of multiple visual features across the visual hierarchy. This talk will describe our work to estimate the importance of object boundary contours relative to other features. Boundary contours define the edges of figural objects in scenes, and figure/ground segmentation has long been held to be a critical process in human vision. However, the relative importance of boundary contours compared to both lower- and higher-level features (e.g. motion energy and visual categories) remains unknown. To address this issue, we measured fMRI responses while human subjects viewed two sets of movies that varied in many feature dimensions: rendered movies of artificial scenes and cinematic movies. We modeled responses to both sets of movies independently using the same three models: models of motion energy, object boundary contours, and visual categories. We used the encoding models to predict withheld fMRI data, and used variance partitioning to determine whether the various models explained unique or shared variance in each dataset. We found that the pattern of unique variance explained by the three models was qualitatively consistent across both datasets, with unique variance explained by boundary contours in Lateral Occipital cortex and other areas. However, the three models also shared substantially more variance in the cinematic movies, likely due to correlations between model features. For example, much of the motion energy in the cinematic movies was a result of people moving. The shared variance between all three models in the cinematic movies in particular highlights the need for complex stimulus sets in which features in different models are de-correlated from each other.

This webinar will cover two current hot topics in EEG-based brain-computer interface research and research ongoing at the Intelligent Systems Research Centre. Part 1 will focus on assessment of patients with prolonged disorder of consciousness (PDoC). Part 2 will focus on direct speech BCIs.

In this webinar, Antonio Manzalini explains how "Softwarization" at the edge and the IoT will merge in a sort of virtual continuum of resources, a pervasive "fabric" spanning from users' terminals, devices, machines, smart things, to the network nodes, up to the cloud computing. This "fabric" will be so embedded into our daily life that it will "disappear".

The IEEE Software Defined Networks’ (SDN) eLearning Module 4 builds on Module 3: ONOS SDN Controller which dived into its architecture and features. This module discusses one particular Open Source Controller– the Open Network Operating System or ONOS– in its role as SDN Controller in an SDN based Service Provider Network. The session attempts to answer: Why ONOS?

5G technologies will make it possible to interconnect with billions of devices and sensors globally, further fueling the growth of large scale dynamic decentralized/distributed data processing business models. These dynamic models will generate significant business opportunities as well as potential liabilities from failure to comply with centralized data protection requirements like those under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The GDPR, which goes into effect on 25 May 2018, includes fines as high as 4% of annual global gross revenues for data controllers and processors who fail to satisfy its requirements. Learn how new dynamic data protection requirements under the GDPR can help to resolve these conflicts and help to facilitate adoption of 5G capabilities.

The advances in neuroimaging in the last decades have bridged the translational gap, and enabled our understanding of brain under physiological and disease conditions. Multiscale and multimodal imaging such as positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, optoacoustic and fluorescence imaging have provide molecular, structural, and functional insights at cellular, circuit and whole brain levels. The use of maging biomarkers has also assisted the early and accurate diagnosis of brain disorders, and facilitated personalized medicine. This webinar will focus on the development of novel brain imaging techniques, as well as their application in the field of Alzheimer?s disease. Multimodal high-resolution imaging tools were developed for non-invasive visualization of the neuropathology (amyloid-beta and tauopathy), brain connectivity, and atrophy in mouse models of Alzheimer?s disease.

The next generation of run-time risk models will act as Digital Twins to anticipate threats and enable novel paradigms, like proactive dependability and collaborative security, as support to prognostics and preventive maintenance in Industry 4.0 and other Smart-X applications (e.g.,smart-houses, smart-cities, smart-transportation, etc.).

David Belanger, Senior Research Fellow at Stevens Institute of Technology, talks about what's next for big data after a decade of experimentation.

In this tutorial, we review the 4G small cell use cases, technology concept, deployment aspects and lessons learnt in the field, paying special attention to inter-cell interference issues and other topics still TBD. Moreover, we discuss the technology evolution of small cells towards 5G, and introduce the concept of ultra-dense networks. We carefully explain how ultra-dense networks are different from those sparse or less dense ones in 4G, and depict their main benefits and challenges. Theoretical and system-level simulation based results are used to shed new light in all these concepts.

An important open question in visual neuroscience is how visual information is represented in cortex. Important results characterized neural coding by assessing the responses to artificial stimuli, with the assumption that responses to gratings, for example, capture the key features of neural responses, and deviations, such as extra-classical effects, are relatively minor. The failure of these responses to have strong predictive power has renewed these questions. It has been suggested that this characterization of visual responses has been strongly influenced by the biases inherent in recording methods and the limited stimuli used in experiments. In creating the Allen Brain Observatory, we sought to reduce these biases by recording large populations of neurons in the mouse visual cortex using a broad array of stimuli, both artificial and natural. This open dataset is a large-scale, systematic survey of physiological activity in the awake mouse cortex recorded using 2-photon calcium imaging. Neural activity was recorded in cortical neurons of awake mice who were presented a variety of visual stimuli, including gratings, noise, natural images, and natural movies. This dataset consists of over 63,000 neurons recorded in over 1300 imaging sessions, surveying 6 cortical areas, 4 cortical layers, and 14 transgenically defined cell types (Cre lines). We found that visual responses throughout the mouse cortex are highly variable. Using the joint reliabilities of responses to multiple stimuli, we classify neurons into functional classes and validate this classification with models of visual responses. Only 10% of neurons in the mouse visual cortex show reliable responses to all of the stimuli used, and are reasonably well predicted by linear-nonlinear models. The remaining neurons fall into classes characterized by responses to specific subsets of the stimuli and the neurons in the largest class do not reliably responsive to any of the stimuli. These classes reveal a functional organization within the mouse visual cortex wherein putative dorsal areas show specialization for visual motion signals.

In this webinar, Derrick DeKerchove and Roberto Saracco share views on the ongoing Digital Twin evolution, as well as address the societal and personal issues that are emerging.

Andrew Laine of Columbia University presents a talk entitled "Big Data in Medicine and Biology: An EMBS Perspective" at the Big Data Initiative Workshop.

Utilizing novel forms of spectrum is a key enabler for meeting the needs of 5G. Examples include shared spectrum as in the CBRS framework and and tighter integration of unlicensed and licensed spectrum. These approach will impact not only the technical performance of networks but the economic incentives of service providers as they make decisions about what technologies to deploy and how they compete. This talk will examine several of these issues and discuss network economic models that can be used to gain insight into them.

The Personal Digital Twins (PDTs) and their Role in Epidemics Control webinar addresses the potential usefulness of PDTs in the context of epidemics alert, monitoring, and containment. This webinar presents a few technical issues, and quite a few societal issues, including privacy and stigma.

Just like every company is now a software company, every business will soon become an Artificial Intelligent (AI) business. In this talk, David Carmona, Microsoft’s General Manager for AI and Innovation, will discuss the key technological trends that will fuel that revolution, including massive AI models trained on super computers, autonomous systems that learn with humans, augmented intelligence, and responsible AI.

Christian K. Hansen, President of the IEEE Reliability Society, presents IEEE Reliability Society's perspective on Big Data at the Big Data Initiative Workshop.

5G is a unifying connectivity fabric that will connect virtually everything around us, expanding the reach of mobile to new services, applications, deployments, and spectrum types. Today, we are preparing for the first commercial launches of 5G NR, which is based on Release 15 of the 3GPP global standard, and it will usher in many new and enhanced mobile experiences starting in 2019. In parallel, we are also evolving 5G NR to expand into new industries, such as automotive and industrial IoT. Join this webinar to: 1. See where we are on the path to make 5G NR a commercial reality, 2. Understand what is at the foundation of 5G NR Release 15 for enabling new and improved applications, 3. Learn what's coming in Release 16 and beyond that will expand 5G into new industries

Digital Twins are becoming the bridge, the orchestrators in between the cyber and the physical space and technologies like AR/VR/MR are at the same time the tools letting us enter the cyberspace and the manifestation of the cyberspace itself. This webinar will start with an introduction to Digital Twins, how the concept has evolved in the last 15 years, and how they are now applied in manufacturing, their current market value, and the main players in this area. Then, the talk will shift to the future, how Digital Twins are evolving right now, how they are becoming an important tool in areas as diverse as Healthcare, Finance, Education, etc. In this evolution, the Digital Reality Initiative is playing a significant role, and this webinar will address the current activities where all of you can be involved.

In contrast to humans, all decisions made by algorithms are systematic and based on user data, sensors, and algorithms. The question is, who is responsible for errors: the provider, the integrator, or the end-user? In most scenarios, responsibility is distributed amongst all stakeholders. Full autonomic systems (including self-driving technology) are not accepted by lawmakers, and a human supervisor is demanded as a backup.

Mahmoud Daneshmand, professor at Stevens Institute of Tecnology, gives a presentation entitled "What's Next for Big Data Analytics" at the Big Data Initiative Workshop.

3GPP has defined 5G-NR with a modulation that inherently reduces energy efficiency of linear transmitters. This causes thermal problems from the dissipated power, which is a particular difficulty for massive-MIMO arrays. Temperature rise from transmitter power dissipation limits the array size that can be safely built. Achieving the multiple business objectives for 5G installations requires solving this problem, and using Sampling technologies is showing great promise to meeting this goal. This presentation presents the physical basis of this thermal problem, and shows how the sampling operation of the switch-mode mixer modulator (SM3) solves not only the thermal problem but also how, using the SM3, signal bandwidth efficiency is increased to 14 bits per symbol (16,384-QAM) with modulation within 0.5% of ideal.

Direct interfaces with the brain provide exciting new ways to restore and repair neurological function. For instance, motor Brain-Machine Interfaces (BMIs) can bypass a paralyzed person's injury by repurposing intact portions of their brain to control movements. Recent work shows that BMIs do not simply "decode" subjects' intentions - they create new systems subjects learn to control. To improve BMI performance and usability, we must therefore understand how to optimize learning and control in these systems. I will present a survey of recent work and new directions exploring how the design of BMI systems influence BMI performance. I'll touch on the importance of control loop design, brain-decoder interactions and multi-learner approaches, and network-informed neural signal selection. These examples highlight the role of learning and closed-loop in BMIs, and demonstrate the promise of engineering approaches based on optimizing learning and control along with information "decoding."

The ability for Virtual Reality (VR) to create rich and compelling experiences drives research in a variety of domains beyond entertainment. One such area of interest is the use of VR for learning and training purposes.

Ling Liu, professor at Georgia Tech, presents a talk entitled "Connecting Big Data with Data Analytics: A CS Perspective" at the Big Data Initiative Workshop.