SL1.1 Biosensors

T1: Development of electronic instrumentation for biosensors control & monitoring.
Development of control & monitoring electronics for optical biosensors, based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and integrated bimodal waveguide interferometric biosensors.

SL1.2: Mobile applications & wireless sensor networks (WSN)

T1: Mobile applications
Development of applications for mobile devices and for M2M systems. Development of M2M systems.

T2: Wireless sensor networks (WSN)
Wireless sensor networks is an emerging field with a big number of applications in several areas. Developments on this area mixed several technologies, energy management & distributed computing.

T3: Development of Sensors for Inertial Units & Applications.
Development of Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) and Unmanned Navigation Systems & Applications.

SL2.1.: Integrated Systems for Multimedia

T1. SoC designs for multimedia
IP (Intellectual Property) modules design and integrated systems for multimedia applications, especially on video compression following standards H.264 and SVC (Scalable Video Coding). In this activity is particularly relevant the use of hardware reconfigurability (both, dynamic and static) for the development of high performance multimedia systems. Hardware reconfigurability is used in order to improve the flexibility in the multimedia systems maintaining real time execution or to easily being adapted to different application environments.

T2. Improvement of video and images based on super-resolution techniques
This activity is based on the development of algorithms and techniques to improve video and images with super-resolution. IUMA has been working on these techniques since a decade. The activity is focused on the development of algorithms to be implemented on hardware in order to accelerate processing and increase the range of applications.

T3. Hyperspectral image processing and its implementation into integrated systems
Hyperspectral images are obtained from special sensors based on an advanced technique for obtaining information in both, the spatial and the spectral domain. This activity is focused on the design of processing systems for hyperspectral images, including hyperspectral sensors, advanced algorithms for hyperspectral image processing and the implementation of theses algorithms for real time applications. Special attention is focused on those applications in which the capture of the hyperspectral images is done in aircrafts and/or satellites.

T4. Networks on Chip
In the future micro and nano systems Chip (MNSoCs), circuit designers will encounter new challenges. The exploration of the space design of such systems requires many resources and computing time. It is necessary to evaluate many design alternatives in the architecture definition phase, and the MNSoCs wih giga order of magnitude in gates count, require intra-and inter-chip communication. Therefore, a great effort is mandatory for the development of communication architectures in scalable chips. This is the basis of this reseach on NoCs. Funtional simulation environments are developed with high flexibility and precision; advanced architectures are also implemented into NoCs as well as solutions are given to problems created by interconnections.

T5. Verification of integrated systems based on emulation
Verification of Systems-on-Chip is a time consuming task in the design process. Tools for emulation have achieved great levels of sophistication allowing a reduction in effort and time, resulting in better time-to-market. The IUMA has powerful emulation tools (such as Mentor VTS). This activity is focused on the research of emulation as means for verification of highly complex systems.

T6. Hardware/software systems for on-board satellite electronics
The modernization of on-board satellite systems involves using innovations being made for both, hardware and software. This activity emphasizes the use of new paradigms such as FPGAs, reconfigurability and others in the onboard systems. This would result in achieving lower costs, reduced production periods and lifetime extension of satellites. In the software domain there are possibilities of development based on TCL language.

SL3.1.:  Mesh generation and refinement algorithms

T1: Development and application of refinement and derefinement algorithms.
The mesh generation algorithms and refinements are geometric techniques to discretize geometrical domains in any dimensions.
Research activities in this line focus on the design, implementation and validation of new algorithms for refinement and coarsening. Furthermore, using mathematical methods we address the characterization and new properties of these algorithms as form example, convergence, quality, finiteness, etc.

SL3.2.:  Computational geometry and Geometric Design

T1: Computational geometry and Geometric Design
Computational Geometry and Geometric Design are interdisciplinary areas of research involving mathematics, computer science and engineering. This line integrates three specific sub-areas, Meshes, Surfaces, Subdivision and Multiresolution. We focus on algorithms, data structures, and geometric properties of meshes and surfaces of interest in engineering.

SL3.3.:  Generalized Fibonacci sequences

T1: Generalized Fibonacci integer sequences and related issues.
Generalized k-Fibonacci integer sequences are studied. These sequences generalizing among others, the classic Fibonacci sequence and the Pell sequence were found by studying the recursive application of two geometrical transformations used in the well-known four-triangle longest-edge (4TLE) partition. Many properties of these numbers have been deduced. Other related issues are k-Lucas sequences, matrix methods, spirals and metallic numbers, combinatorial aspects, etc.

SL3.4.: Graphic engineering, modeling and CAD

T1: Graphic engineering, modeling and CAD
It focuses on tools and techniques for representation and geometric modeling. There is specialized software in 2D and 3D, among which it is included CAD tools. We pursue efficient use of such tools for the production of quality graphical information in engineering, for example, development of drawings, 3D models and advanced visualization.

SL3.5.: Geodesic Engineering and geo-spatial applications

T1: Geodesic Engineering and geo-spatial applications.

• • • • Analysis GNSS data (Global Navigation Satellite System) by application software. For example an application is developed for automatic and visual selection of GNSS stations.
      • Development of geo-referenced virtual globes for personal computers and smartphones. Some projects we have participated are Capaware (www.capaware.org) and Glob3 mobile (http://ami.dis.ulpgc.es/glob3m/).

SL4.1:  Nano and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems

T1: MEMS Design and Applications.
Applications of MEMS ("MicroElectroMechanical Systems") has grown, dramatically, last decade CAD Tools for the design of microelectronic circuits and systems has been improved by Finite Elements Method software in order to analysis both electrical and mechanical properties and performance of sensors and transducers . The research line of MEMS design is aimed to provide a complete vision of MEMS, applications, current and futures trends in sensors, transducers and actuators in aerospatial area and bioengineering. As a summary, this research line includes:

1. 1. 1. 1. Fundamentals in  microsystems, microsensors y microactuators;
         2. Fundamentals in microsystem integration;
         3. Applications in aeroespatial area, bioengineering and biomedicine;
         4. Future trends in microrobotics and micromechanics;  and
         5. R+D+I opportunities in microsensor design and integration in microelectronics systems.

T2: Performance Analysis.
This research line is oriented to the analysis of circuits and systems implemented in micro
and nano technologies.  This research area includes: heuristics and deterministic method for optimization of performance in hardware and software, embedded systems, and algorithms.

T3: System on Chip Modeling and Structuring Simulation.
This research activity is focused in two complementary techniques: the System on Chip (SoC) modeling, and the structuring simulation of both functional behavior and performance. Both techniques are applied to high level descriptions of the system.

T4: Micromechanical properties of MEMS.
The characterization of micromechanical properties is crucial for the performance estimation of MEMS. This research line includes the analysis of mechanical properties and the interaction with electrical properties.  

T5: MEMS and Microfluidics.
This research line includes the analysis of liquids that are moving in micrometric cavities for measuring performance related with heat transfer, the chemical transfer (electrophoresis, electroosmosis, and diffusion), the electrokinetics behavior, the bubble formation, among others.

T6: MEMS Micromotors.
The activity related with the design and analysis of MEMS micromotors spans a range of microscale and nanoscale technologies and tools for developing electrostatics actuators.  Such microactuators are used in movement of microrotors and microcantilever beam

 SL5.1: Design methods for Systems on Chip SOC and industrial embedded systems.

T1: Modeling and implementation of SoC.
Design based on ESL flows, SystemC and TLM. Hardware-software co-design. Application to hardware videocodecs, heterogeneous processors with specific accelerators, or data communications in industrial sensor networks.

T2: Embedded systems and industrial systems.
Industrial communications and real time SCADA systems. Interface systems with field buses based on SoC, DSPs and microcontrollers.

T3: Electronic system manufacturing methods.
BGA, uBGA, CSP, QFN and other advanced printed circuit board and MCM technologies require new techniques. Techniques are analysed and quantified using inspection and testing systems.

SL6.1. Information Technology

T1: Collaborative and semantic recommendation systems applied to the distribution of multimedia contents and the touristic sector.
This research line concentrates on the analysis and development of engines that provide recommendations of products for the final user based on his likings and preferences. The techniques used for this purpose range from collaborative filtering techniques to those based on ontologies. We try to improve the adjustment in filtering techniques based on ontologies using results obtained through data mining techniques.

T2: Targeted advertising directed to the final user in web applications.
This research line tries to adapt the advertisements distributed on Internet to each individual user. Therefore, this means leaving behind the old scheme of massive advertisement distribution so that this only gets to those users for which it could have some interest.

T3: Social Networks and Web 2.0 applied to all kind of sectors.
This research line takes advantage of the cooperation and collaboration of social networks and web 2.0 in different web applications.

T4: Augmented reality and image characterization on mobile devices.
This research line searches to complete the physical information around the user with virtual information. With this technology the information about the real world around the user turns into interactive and digital.

T5: Workflow.
Development of platforms for the automation of online administrative processes with support for electronic billing and documentation management.

T6: High availability systems.
Development of distributed applications with fault tolerance and/or load balance for high availability applications.

T7: On-line Authentication systems.
In this research line we analyze and evaluate different online authentication systems in search of weaknesses and strengths in order to establish the suitability of each system for an specific use for which it is going to be applied.

T8: Information security in communications.
Security in online banking and means of payment. In the field of security for online banking we are developing a new electronic signature system based on autonomous tokens that has leaded to a worldwide patent actually exploited by a spin-off company. This company has been able to raise both public and private funding in order to come to real prototype integration in smartcard format.

T9: Data Mining.
This research line is based on the ability to explore, either automatically or semi-automatically, massive sources of data with the aim to find recurrent patterns, tendencies or rules that explain the behavior of the data in a given context.

T10: Programming languages and compilers.
This research line centers on the development of languages programming tools. Right now we participate in the development of the official ADA compiler in close collaboration with the New York University.

SL7.1. RFIC.

T1: RFIC design.
This activity is devoted to High Frequency Circuits Design on low cost commercial technologies. Applications of our circuits are found in wireless communications and others on new communication standards.

T2: Active and passive RFIC Device modeling.
This research area deals with the behavior and modeling of devices for RFIC, both, passive (inductors and varactors) and active (FETs) devices.