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Department of Electronic Engineering (UPM)
Doctorate in Electronic Systems Engineering (RD 99/2011)

Research Lines and Results

Lines of Research

The Doctorate Program in Electronic Systems Engineering is supported by the activity of four main research groups, made up of people belonging to the Department of Electronic Engineering and/or the Institute of Optoelectronic Systems and Microtechnology (ISOM), promoter and support entities of the aforementioned Program. Thus, the fundamental substrate is the research groups:

The research work of the Doctorate students is therefore framed in the work that is carried out within these Research groups. Additionally, it has the collaboration of professors from other institutions, as indicated in several sections of this application. In what follows there will be a brief description of the research lines of each group and the main projects carried out by it (the results can be seen in the form of publications and Theses in the corresponding sections of this application). The Program professors who are part of the groups are also indicated, although some professors come from other Departments and are, therefore, not included in any of them, although they usually collaborate on R&D projects). The subjects taught by these teachers and the correspondence between the activity carried out and the Program courses under their responsibility are indicated. From all this it can be deduced that the program is the direct consequence of a broad scientific-technical activity, which has been evolving and completing itself over the 30 years in which this Program, with one name or another, has been taught in the Department of Electronic Engineering of the ETSI of Telecommunications of the UPM, and whose associated scientific activity has achieved national and international recognition.

Integrated Systems Laboratory (LSI)

The former Department of Digital Systems of the ETSIT-UPM was a section of the National Center of Microelectronics between the years 1985 to 1987. From 1988 it was established as an Integrated Systems Laboratory, within the Department of Electronic Engineering of the same University.

However, the activities of the LSI, in fact, began in 1981, focusing its activity on the conception of digital architectures to implement speech and video processing applications in real time. Part of this work was carried out in close collaboration with the Speech Technology and Machine Learning Group (GTH).

In order to face the growing requirements posed by the previous architectures, in 1983 the activity of the LSI was expanded to cover the area of ​​Design and Test of microelectronic circuits and CAE tools to support the simulation, design and test of said circuits.

Currently, the LSI is carrying out research activities related to both the aforementioned technologies and some fields of application thereof, among which we can highlight: home automation systems, biomedical systems and wireless systems and services.

Below is a list of the current lines of research:

  • Microelectronics: Design of integrated circuits (ASICs and FPGAs), Tools for automatic design of electronic systems (EDA), High-level synthesis of digital systems.
  • Systems on Chip (SoC) Design and Consumption Optimization: Design for low temperature and circuit aging. Dedicated processor architectures, Compiler Help, Simulation and consumption estimation tools.
  • High-performance digital architectures: high-speed circuits for communications, Supercomputing based on coprocessors with FPGAs and GPUs.
  • Embedded systems: Rapid prototyping systems (incorporating DSPs, FPGAs and microPS), Optimization of consumption in embedded systems, Design and integration, Design of systems with smart cards.
  • Hardware/software co-design: Hardware/software compilation, Co-synthesis of complex heterogeneous systems, Specification of heterogeneous systems with general purpose programming languages, Heterogeneous operating systems.
  • Services and applications in mobility, security and home automation: Applications on Simtoolkit, E-commerce on GSM/Bluetooth, Heterogeneous networks over cable (ADSL, RTC), Heterogeneous networks over short-distance radio (WLAN, Bluetooth), Heterogeneous networks over long-distance radio (GSM, GPRS), Remote control and remote control over GSM/GPRS mobile telephony and cable networks.

During all these years, and under the protection of various doctoral programs, the LSI has been contributing to advanced third-cycle training.

Theses defended in this line

  1. Nadal Serrano, Jose Maria (2017). Study, design and validation of a framework model for smoke and particle-filled atmospheres. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.45723.

  2. Briongos Herrero, Samira (2019). Analysis and design of microarchitectural side-channel attacks and countermeasures. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.57557.

  3. Corredera Arbide, Alberto (2019). Emotion-Aware Cyber-Physical Systems. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.62775.

  4. Tirado Andres, Francisco (2020). Methodology for implementation of synchronization strategies for wireless sensor networks. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.63294.

High Speed ​​Electronics Group (HISEL)/ISOM

The activities in high-speed electronics at the beginning of the current Department of Electronic Engineering began in 1974, carrying out research work related to the manufacture and characterization of devices based on III-V semiconductors and since then having as a special motivation applications for communications, optoelectronics and sensors.

On the initiative of this Group (HISEL) and with the collaboration of the Autonomous Community of Madrid and Telefonica, the Institute of Optoelectronic Systems and Microtechnology (ISOM) was created, attached to the Polytechnic University of Madrid (BOCM of 3-28-2000). They currently belong to researchers and professors from the Departments of Electronic Engineering and Physics Applied to Information Technologies, of the ETSI of Telecommunications, and of Chemical, Industrial and Environmental Engineering, of the ETSI Industriales.

The ISOM has its facilities on the ground floor of the Lopez Araujo building of the Higher Technical School of Telecommunications Engineers of the UPM. It consists of 400 m2 of clean rooms, 300 m2 of characterization laboratories with centralized air conditioning, and 200 m2 of instrumentation and electronics laboratories. A group of 50 researchers work at the ISOM, 1 engineer from the Technology Center, 4 technicians and 1 administrative officer. This is a group with sufficient critical mass, whose research work has been consolidated in recent years. In particular, the groups that form it have participated in numerous research projects funded by the European Union for 20 years.

The objective of ISOM is research on detection, processing, transmission and storage of information through Optoelectronics and Micro- and Nanotechnology, and the dissemination of its results to the productive sector. The training of innovative professionals is carried out through their participation in these research and development tasks. Below is a list of current lines of research:

  • Epitaxial technology of III-V semiconductors by molecular beams (MBE): UV detectors for solar applications, Laser and LED diodes in blue and ultraviolet based on GaN, Nanostructures for optoelectronic devices.
  • Quantum emitters and detectors in infrared (1.5 um): QW lasers in 1.5 um., Tricolor QWIP detectors., GaN HEMT transistors for microwaves, Design, manufacturing and characterization, Development of technological processes.
  • Devices: High-speed electronics and nanoelectronics, high electronic mobility transistors, SAW surface acoustic wave devices, chemical sensors and microsystems, integration of SAW devices with photodetectors and 2DEG heterostructures.

Theses defended in this line

  1. Lopez Lopez, Cristina (2018). Thermal characterization of ferromagnetic nanoribbons in spin transfer experiments. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.50301.

  2. Migliorini, Andrea (2018). Spontaneous exchange bias formation driven by a structural phase transition in the antiferromagnetic material. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.50491.

  3. Perez Jimenez, Marina (2019). Design and development of systems based on magnetic devices for space and defense applications. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.57558.

  4. Tamayo Arriola, Julen (2019). Infrared intersubband detection and plasmonics with (Zn,Mg)O and (Cd,Zn)O compounds. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.57422.

  5. Gonzalo Martin, Alicia (2019). Structures based on GaAs(Sb)(N) semiconductor alloys for high efficiency multi-junction solar cells. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.57487.

  6. Fandan, Rajveer Singh (2020). Quasiparticles in graphene and other 2D materials: modulation by a Surface acoustic wave and contribution to Coulomb drag. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.65493.

Speech Technology and Machine Learning Group (GTH)

The Speech Technology Group began its activities in 1980 with work on text-speech conversion. However, in 1978 a prototype of time domain synthesis with limited vocabulary was already made, which was applied to a Spanish-speaking calculator. This project arose as an evolution of previous activities in the development of assistance systems for the disabled, especially the blind, with the aim of replacing the Braille interface with a “spoken” interface.

The group was evolving and developing various technologies, currently focusing on research and development in various areas of speech science and technology, especially synthesis and recognition, applications of said technology in the office environment, telephone and aids for the disabled.

Below is a list with some detail of the current lines of research:

  • Text-voice conversion: Voice conversion, Prosodic modeling, Synthesis with emotions.
  • Speech recognition: Confidence measures, Recognition in robust environments, Recognition of isolated speech, continuous speech, spelling, Adaptation techniques to the speaker and the task.
  • Text to speech conversion: quality voice generation and voice generation with emotions.
  • Human-machine dialogue systems: Machine initiative, Mixed initiative.
  • Information indexing: detection of speakers in a meeting.
  • Language and speaker identification: detection of the identity of the speaker and the language in which he is speaking.
  • Natural Language Processing: natural language compression and translation between languages.
  • Augmentative and alternative communication systems: Algorithmics, User interfaces, Hardware for real-time operation.
  • Electronic systems with speech technology: Algorithmic and experimental development of systems, Implementation and simulation in real time, Speech recognition systems, Systems for text-speech conversion.
  • Rehabilitation technology: Voice process applied to diagnosis, Rehabilitation of phonation problems, Visual voice feedback methods applied to language teaching, Text telephone for deaf people.
  • Speech technology: Agents, Applications in telecommunication and office services, Aids to the disabled, Speech comprehension, Generation of spoken messages, Speech and text analysis tools, Language identification, Identification/Verification of speakers, Identification of emotion in the voice, Basic research in system models, peripheral auditory, Neural networks, Speech rehabilitation.

Theses defended in this line

  1. Zlotnik Enaliev, Alexander (2016). Design and evaluation of analytical tools for emergency department management based on machine learning techniques. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.43029.

  2. Salamea Palacios, Christian Raul (2018). Design and evaluation of language recognition techniques through the fusion of phonotactic and acoustic information. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.52506.

  3. Coucheiro Limeres, Alejandro (2019). Contributions to Speech and Language processing towards Automatic Speech Recognizers with Evolving Dictionaries. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.58115.

Biomedical Imaging Technology Group (BIT)

The Biomedical Imaging Technology Group (BIT) has been consolidated as a Research Group recognized by the UPM in 2008. However, the Group has already begun its research activities in 2000, within the framework of the Integrated Systems Laboratory (LSI), at the same time contributing significantly to improving third cycle studies. Progressively, due to having a somewhat more differentiated line of research, it has begun to carry out its research independently.

The research activities of the BIT Group are framed within the field of biomedical engineering, with special emphasis on diagnostic technologies and observation of anatomy, physiology and pathological situations through medical and molecular imaging processes. Within this framework, the Group actively develops research work both nationally and internationally, along the following lines:

  • Data acquisition systems: design and characterization of high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) cameras, primarily for pre-clinical applications or dedicated PET systems (e.g., functional mammography); design of specific hardware modules for PET data acquisition systems with a focus on completely digital systems (fully digital); design and characterization of components of magnetic resonance imaging systems, etc.
  • PET data processing methods and algorithms: image formation using image reconstruction algorithms; modeling and processing of data from dynamic PET data (time series); registration and fusion of functional PET images with images from other modalities (magnetic resonance, axial tomography, etc.); correction of the effects of respiratory movement in the images obtained through the use of anatomical information through axial tomography and specific algorithms (elastic registration, super-resolution techniques, etc.)
  • Characterization of cardiac activity through images obtained mainly through advanced ultrasound or magnetic resonance techniques, to help improve the diagnosis of cardiovascular pathologies by providing functional and quantitative information on the state of the heart. Special emphasis has been placed on the study of myocardial movement and perfusion, for the characterization and detection of ischemic situations, using elastic image registration algorithms and other methods developed by the Group’s researchers.
  • Processing and analysis of dynamic microscopy (4D) images to investigate cell fate, the phenomenon by which a cell is committed to carrying out a certain cellular differentiation program as part of the organism’s body plan.
  • Applications of medical and molecular imaging technologies in eHealth systems: telemedicine systems for remote diagnosis and collaborative work between professionals, tools to support the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases in primary care centers, etc.

The vast majority of the work carried out on these lines of research is being carried out in close collaboration with medical professionals and specialized personnel from hospitals and clinics, such as the Experimental Medicine and Surgery Unit of the General University Hospital “Gregorio Maranon”, the PET Technological Institute, and the Puerta de Hierro Hospital. On the other hand, the Group maintains collaborations with a series of leading companies in the biomedical technologies sector at a national level, and with a large number of biomedical research institutes and centers in several European countries.

Theses defended in this line

  1. Zorraquino Gaston, Carlos (2018). High Performance Data Acquisition for High-Resolution Dedicated TOF-PET Systems. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM).

  2. Gomez Valverde, Juan Jose (2018). Image processing methods for computer-aided screening for disease. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.52589.

  3. Arroyo-Gallego, Teresa (2020). Automatic psychomotor function quantification in Parkinson’s disease via natural interaction with digital devices. Thesis (Doctoral), E.T.S.I. Telecommunications (UPM). https://doi.org/10.20868/UPM.thesis.64517.