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The Cooperative Network Lab at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, works to find novel solutions for improving network potential.
A subcategory of complex systems, cooperative networks are groups of decentralized agents, sometimes called "nodes", that work together to achieve a common goal without the direction of a leader. An agent can be anything from computer software to a sensor or power plant. The advent of cheap embedded units equipped with sensing, communication, and processing capabilities has created new and unimaginable possibilities for learning and interacting with our environment. The vision of such networks cooperatively learning and adapting to achieve a common goal is closer than ever. However, to realize the full potential of cooperative networks, several challenges must be addressed. Understanding and optimization of information flow is one of the critical challenges of network science, which is a new field of investigation for studying complex networks.
 In the cooperative network lab, we are working on multiple research projects that focus on two main areas: developing mathematical foundations for understanding cooperative networks and creating smarter algorithms to improve the network’s performance and robustness, with an emphasis on information flow. Working on these areas, however, requires a novel combination of dynamical systems and communications. With good background in both, our team tries to apply a realistic view of how communication affects high-level decision-making and control in cooperative networks.
| Current Projects and Fundings
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- "An Integrative Framework for Communication and Motion-planning in Robotic Networks Operating in Fading Environments," National Science Foundation (NSF), PI, Sept. 2008 - Sept. 2011
- "Autonomous Multifunctional Mobile Microsystems," Army Research Lab (ARL), UNM PI, multi-University project (lead university: UPenn), May 2008 - May 2013
- "Robust Functionality and Active Data Management in Cooperative Networks," Detection Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Sept. 2008 - Sept. 2010 (PI: Majeed Hayat)
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