Networks for motion and motion for networks

Wireless systems enable key sensing and connectivity capabilities for mobile platforms. However, existing wireless systems face challenges, preventing important applications from being realized. First, current sensing techniques are too coarse-grained or computationally intensive, limiting practicality for small, agile platforms such as drones and robots. Second, current connectivity systems remain vulnerable to environments where signals are blocked, preventing connectivity in agriculture and geo-location indoors. In this thesis, we address these challenges by exploring the interplay between networks and motion. Specifically, we contribute techniques for improving mobile platforms using networks and improving networks using mobile platforms. First, we contribute a new wireless sensing primitive for agile motion sensing via surface-parallel Doppler shift. We use this to perform accurate odometry and simultaneous localization and mapping on embedded mmWave radars. Next, we expand the scope of rural connectivity for digital agriculture. We contribute an agile and low-cost broadband connectivity model for under-canopy robots operating on remote farms. Our system exploits horizontal and vertical motion of a cellular base station to optimize coverage and throughput to clients. Finally, we tackle geo-location in GPS-denied indoor environments. Although many indoor localization systems have been proposed through the years, they remain too impractical for widespread real-world deployment. To address this, we describe a localization system that works with any unmodified Wi-Fi device. We show how pedestrian crowdsourcing can bootstrap this system in any environment containing enough Wi-Fi APs without dedicated human effort. We believe this is a promising step towards realizing ubiquitous GPS-level localization in urban environments across the world.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical & Computer Engr

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Sie, Emerson

Contributors dc:contributor

• Vasisht, Deepak
• Choudhury, Romit R
• Caesar, Matthew
• Driggs-Campbell, Katherine

• Wireless Networks
• Wireless Sensing
• Radar
• Gps

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Emerson Sie

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129822

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129822