Computer Systems: Efficient Computer Architectures and Communications for the Modern Society
Our research on computer systems delves into two pivotal domains: computer architecture and communications.
Overview
Our research on computer systems delves into two pivotal domains: computer architecture and communications:
Architecture: Our work focuses on creating processors and memory systems that are both energy-efficient and secure. This is vital for the development of scalable data centers, cloud services, and specialised embedded systems. By designing architectures that minimise energy consumption while enhancing security, we lay the groundwork for future technological infrastructures.
Communications: We concentrate on advancing the methods by which data is transmitted both within devices and across systems. Our innovations in secure and energy-efficient wireless networks are crucial for the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) and broader connectivity paradigms.
Our approach to research engages in the design and creation of prototypes and utilises simulations to validate our concepts. The outcomes of our research span multiple areas including scientific publications, the development of design tools, the creation of prototypes, and the filing of patents.
To bridge the gap between theory and practical application, we frequently collaborate with both well-established corporations and emerging startups. This not only helps in translating our research findings into market-ready solutions but also ensures that our innovations make a tangible impact on industry and society at large.
Research topics
- Battery-free Internet of Things: we are working on backscatter communications to drastically reduce the energy for communication and on intermittent computing to ensure application progress even when the available energy from the environment to power devices is scarce and erratic.
- Secure Emerging Internet of Things applications: we are working on emerging applications, for example, in and on the body. Often we are also concerned with the security and privacy of such applications.
- Power-efficient Memory Systems: we are designing new memory systems that move data more intelligently and efficiently within the processor, to and from main memory, and between systems by enabling the software application to work more closely with the hardware processor.
- Power-efficient Processor Architectures: we are investigating techniques to reduce the energy cost of computation by improving how instructions are chosen for execution (scheduling) and brought into the processor (fetching).
- Secure Computer Architectures: Traditional computer architecture is plagued by fundamental security weaknesses that allow sensitive information to leak. We are re-thinking computer architecture (focusing on core microarchitecture, cache hierarchy, and memory system) from a security perspective to create safer architectures without compromising performance or energy-efficiency.
Researchers
- José Mairton Barros da Silva Júnior (networking)
- David Black-Schaffer (computer architecture, memory systems)
- Per Gunningberg (networking)
- Stefanos Kaxiras (secure computer architecture)
- Chang Hyun Park (computer architecture)
- Christian Rohner (network security)
- Yuan Yao (computer architecture)
Collaborators
- Luca Mottola (networked embedded software)
- Thiemo Voigt (low-power IoT networking)
Research awards
- ISCA 2022 paper nominated for Best paper, ISCA 2022
- MICRO'21 paper awarded Honorable Mention in IEEE Micro TOP PICKS, 2022
- Best of IEEE Computer Architecture Letters (CAL), 2021
- The Lilly and Sven Thurés prize (David Black-Schaffer, 2020)
- ACM SigMobile Research Highlight for the paper "Hummingbird: Energy Efficient GPS Receiver for Small Satellites" (Luca Mottola, 2020)
- Best Paper Award and Best Pitch Video Award at the 8th ACM International Workshop on Energy Harvesting and Energy-neutral Sensing Systems (Luca Mottola, 2020)
- IEEE Fellow (Stefanos Kaxiras, 2020)
- Best Paper Award at the 26th ACM International Conference on Mobile Computing and Networking (Luca Mottola, 2020)
- ISCA'17 paper selected for IEEE Micro TOP PICKS 2018 (top-12 computer architecture papers from the past year)
- TC paper selected Best of Month, IEEE Trans. Computers 67(4), 2018
- Best Demo Award, ACM WiSec, 2018
- Best paper award, IEEE DCOSS, 2017
- Best paper award, VLCS, 2017
- MICRO'16 paper awarded Honorable Mention in IEEE Micro TOP PICKS, 2017
- Best of IEEE Computer Architecture Letters (CAL), 2017
- Best paper award, Compiler Construction (CC), 2016
- Best paper award, FORTE 2016
- Best presentation award, CGO 2014
Education
- 1DT024: Advanced Computer Architecture (10 credits)
- 1DT052: Computer Networks I (5 credits)
- 1DT066: Distributed Information System (5 credits)
- 1DT074: Computer Networks II (10 credits)
- 1DT093: Computer Architecture (10 credits)
- 1DT038: Computer Architecture I (5 credits)
- 1DT016: Computer Architecture I (7.5 credits) (Distance)
- 1DT094: Internet of Things (5 credits)
- 1DT098: Security & Privacy (7.5 credits)
- 1DT095: Wireless Communication and Networked Embedded Systems (5 credits)
- 1DT104: Project in Computer Systems (15 credits)
- 1DT109: Accelerating Systems with Programmable Logic Components (10 credits)
- 1DL550: Low-Level Parallel Programming (5 credits)
- 1DL560: Parallel Programming for Efficiency (5 credits)
- Introduction to Computer Architecture Research (ICAR) (PhD Course)