The document discusses the Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) at Waterford Institute of Technology, detailing its founding, leadership, and focus areas including advanced communications and machine learning. It highlights research applications in agricultural technology using wireless communication, edge AI, and molecular communication related to bacterial activity in farming and health. Key researchers and projects are mentioned, emphasizing innovative communication technologies and their impact on both agriculture and human health.

1. SASITHARAN BALASUBRAMANIAM
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, TSSG
VistaMilk
Communication
Technologies
Research
20-05-2019

2. 2
TSSG
• International Research Institute hosted by WIT.
• Founded in 1997.
• Led by (co-directors) Director of Innovation Kevin Doolin and
Director of Research Sasitharan Balasubramaniam
• Has 90+ staff and is 100% self funded.
• Communications networks and wireless systems
• Machine Learning and AI
• Emerging Communication Technologies
• Pervasive Environments and Computing
The Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) at WIT
Fundamental Expertise

3. Networks & cloud
Network Function
Virtualization (NFV), Software
Defined Networking (SDN)
and Biological
Communications.
Communication services
3
Mobile & iot
Cloud Platforms (PaaS)
and advanced mobile /
IoT applications
Communication Services
Platforms (PaaS) and
applications e.g. Web
RTC
O U R C O R E F O C U S A R E A S
Architecting and
Engineering, advanced
services in mobile, IoT and
Security.
Virtual and
Augmented Reality
VR/AR Communications,
3D User Interfaces,
Education, Simulation
and Enabling hardware.
Data Mining and
Predictive Analytics,
Deep Learning / Neutral
Networks.
Machine Learning,
Data Mining and AI
Services
Engineering

4. VistaMilk

5. Wireless Communications in
Agri. Tech.

6. www.tssg.org 6
Application of Wireless Technology in Day-to-Day Farming
- Edge AI and ML
 Researchers: Stepan Ivanov and Steven Davy
 Internet of Things (IoT ) infrastructure for Agri Tech.
 Problem: Minimize the latency time between the sensor
units and the Cloud infrastructure
 Edge Analytics Processing of sensor information from
cows or on the farm (e.g., below or above the soil)
through low powered gateways
 Lightweight Fog services can be on mobile device or
processors that act as gateways
 Integration of light-weight AI algorithms to process the
information.
 AI algorithms learns and processes the data to detect
abnormalities
 Cooperative AI for that links multiple Fog entities.

7. External wireless
Patch device with sensors
Patch that is equipped with sensors
and metamaterials that reflect mm-
wave or sub-terahertz frequency to a
local base station through the process
of back-scattering.
5G/6G Macro Base station
Advanced Wireless Communications and
5G/6G for Agri. Tech.
Backscattering
communication
 Researcher: Alan Davy
 5G will provide lightning speed data transmissions.
 Untapped frequency spectrum (mm-wave and sub-terahertz band).
 Requires new forms of communication process between the devices.
Receptors
Small
cell

8. Internet of Bio-Nano Things
(IoBNT) for Smart Agri.

9. Connecting Nano and Molecular
Communications to IoT - IoBNT
22/05/2019 www.tssg.org
9
Characterizing Bacterial
communication within the
cow’s gut
Characterizing Bacterial
activity within the
soil for monitoring
Molecular Communication
to sensor interface
EM Nanosensor
Interfaces to the
Bacterial population

10. Chemical
Stimuli
Autoinducer
Diffusion
Pulse
sampling
Channel
Quorum
sensing
Molecular
binding
Transmitter Receiver
Bacterial Molecular Communications
 Bacteria continuously communicate as part of their survival and self-regulation.
 Have their own syntax and encoding of information through molecules
 Plays a major role within the gut as well as soil (e.g., transfer of nutrients to the roots of
grass)
 Characterize the communication process of the bacteria to understand any
abnormalities that can occur.
 Use concepts from Communication Engineering and Networking Theory.
 Connecting them to the Internet will lead to Internet of Bio-Nano Things.

11. Microbiome
Molecules
• Effect of different types of proteins on the gut, and how this impacts on
other organs
– Long range molecular communication models from the gut to the other organs
Impact of Ingredients on the Body

12. Gut-Brain Communication
• Long range neural molecular communication systems
• Using molecular communications to understand how A1-A2 milk is
hypothesized to be linked to cardiovascular and neurological
conditions in humans (impact of release of ß-casomorphins).
Bacterial
ingestion
Nervous System
Or Cardiovascular
System
Neuronal
networks
Channel
Molecular
production
Molecular
binding
Transmitter
Receiver

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SASITHARAN
BALASUBRAMANIAM
DIR E CTOR OF R E SE AR CH , TSSG