Innovation Centre for Information Engineering

By Nicole Laidler | May 6, 2016

It’s almost impossible to imagine modern life without wireless technology.

And, as an internationally recognized centre of excellence in the field of information engineering research and training, Western University is at the forefront of making sure the wireless networks we rely on for everything from a casual phone call to a sophisticated military operation are secure, reliable and efficient.

At Western Engineering, much of this work is done under the umbrella of the Innovation Centre for Information Engineering (iCIE).

Formally established by researchers Xianbin Wang, Abdallah Shami, Serguei Primak and Raveendra Rao, the iCIE is an interdisciplinary team of more than 20 researchers and 60 graduate students from several faculties including Engineering, Science and Social Science.

“Our mandate is to provide a framework where faculty members and students can exchange ideas, work together, and collaborate with outside industry partners,” says Shami.

Industry partners working with the iCIE include well-known names like IBM, Telus, Samsung, Ericsson and Blackberry as well as the defence, auto, and banking sectors.

“Provisioning of wireless security is a complex issue,” notes Wang. “On the one side, we need to have secure communications, but on the other we need to maintain openness and the interoperability across different networks. Existing solutions have a lot of weaknesses.”

Introducing more flexibility and competition to the wireless communication market is another challenge, says Shami, whose research includes projects related to network virtualization. “Communication companies would like to have pay-as-you-go computing,” he explains.

Through the iCIE, Shami is also collaborating on several initiatives with The Mircom Group, North America’s largest independent global designer, manufacturer and distributor of Intelligent Building Solutions.

Shami and his group are working with Mircom to find solutions to a number of challenges faced by the life safety industry, including improving the performance and reliability of wireless fire detection and alarm systems, developing long-range wireless communication systems that don’t require fixed infrastructure, and advancing wireless asset tracking for use in hospitals or other large industrial facilities with expensive, portable equipment.

“We are also interested in developing graphical monitoring and surveillance tools using indoor positioning systems and algorithms to assist first responders so they can be better protected when they respond to emergency situations,” says Mircom’s VP Engineering, Jason Falbo, BESc'04. “Right now the only communication they have is audio over walkie-talkie.”

Working with academic teams like the iCIE gives his company the opportunity to evaluate and experiment with emerging technologies that may not be commercialized for many years, says Falbo.

The hands-on industry experience is equally valuable for the iCIE’s team of graduate students.

“We want to help students quickly adapt to the industry environment,” says Wang. “Information technology is evolving all the time. We need immediate feedback from industry, so it’s ideal to have students working on a problem while industry is working on it.”