Xavier Fernando

Dr. Xavier Fernando

Ryerson University, Department of Electrical ,Computer and Biomedical Engineering, Toronto, Canada
+1
orcid
Fulbright Canada Research Chair

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

25Years (2002-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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19 November 2020 in IEEE Access
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
ANAhasanun Nessa
Ahasanun Nessa
AAAdhikari Adhikari
Adhikari Adhikari
FHFatima Hussain
Fatima Hussain
Xavier FernandoXavier Fernando
Xavier Fernando
Widespread proliferation of wireless coverage has enabled culmination of number of advanced location-based services (LBS). Continuous tracking of accurate physical location is the foundation of these services, which is a challenging task especially indoors. Multitude of techniques and algorithms have been proposed for indoor positioning systems (IPS’s). However, accuracy, reliability, scalability and, adaptability to the environment still remain as challenges for widespread deployment. Especially, unpredictable radio propagation characteristics in vastly varying indoor environments plus access technology limitations contribute to these challenges. Machine learning (ML) approaches have been widely attempted recently to overcome these challenges with reasonable success. In this paper, we aim to provide a comprehensive survey of ML enabled localization techniques using most common wireless technologies. First, we provide a brief background on indoor localization techniques. Afterwards, we discuss various ML techniques (supervised and unsupervised) that could alleviate different challenges in indoor localization including Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) issue, device heterogeneity and environmental variations with reasonable complexity. The trade-offs among multitude of issues are discussed using numerous published results. We also discuss how the ML algorithms can be effectively used for fusing different technologies and algorithms to achieve a comprehensive IPS. In essence, this survey will serve as a reference material to acquire a detailed knowledge on recent development of machine learning for accurate indoor positioning.

28 March 2022 in Drones
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
AGAbhishek Gupta
Abhishek Gupta
Xavier FernandoXavier Fernando
Xavier Fernando
This article presents a survey of simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and data fusion techniques for object detection and environmental scene perception in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). We critically evaluate some current SLAM implementations in robotics and autonomous vehicles and their applicability and scalability to UAVs. SLAM is envisioned as a potential technique for object detection and scene perception to enable UAV navigation through continuous state estimation. In this article, we bridge the gap between SLAM and data fusion in UAVs while also comprehensively surveying related object detection techniques such as visual odometry and aerial photogrammetry. We begin with an introduction to applications where UAV localization is necessary, followed by an analysis of multimodal sensor data fusion to fuse the information gathered from different sensors mounted on UAVs. We then discuss SLAM techniques such as Kalman filters and extended Kalman filters to address scene perception, mapping, and localization in UAVs. The findings are summarized to correlate prevalent and futuristic SLAM and data fusion for UAV navigation, and some avenues for further research are discussed.

11 September 2023 in Sensors
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
Xavier FernandoXavier Fernando
Xavier Fernando
George LăzăroiuGeorge Lăzăroiu
George Lăzăroiu
The aim of this systematic review was to identify the correlations between spectrum sensing, clustering algorithms, and energy-harvesting technology for cognitive-radio-based internet of things (IoT) networks in terms of deep-learning-based, nonorthogonal, multiple-access techniques. The search results and screening procedures were configured with the use of a web-based Shiny app in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) flow design. AMSTAR, DistillerSR, Eppi-Reviewer, PICO Portal, Rayyan, and ROBIS were the review software systems harnessed for screening and quality assessment, while bibliometric mapping (dimensions) and layout algorithms (VOSviewer) configured data visualization and analysis. Cognitive radio is pivotal in the utilization of an adequate radio spectrum source, with spectrum sensing optimizing cognitive radio network operations, opportunistic spectrum access and sensing able to boost the efficiency of cognitive radio networks, and cooperative spectrum sharing together with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer able increase spectrum and energy efficiency in 6G wireless communication networks and across IoT devices for efficient data exchange.

3 May 2023 in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
AKAnitha Saravana Kumar
Anitha Saravana Kumar
Lian ZhaoLian Zhao
Lian Zhao
Xavier FernandoXavier Fernando
Xavier Fernando
Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) has gained popularity due to its ability to enhance vehicular networks. VEC servers located at Roadside Units (RSUs) allow low-power vehicles to offload computation-intensive and delay-sensitive applications, making it a promising solution. However, optimal resource allocation between edge servers is a complex issue due to vehicle mobility and dynamic data traffic. To address this issue, we propose a Lyapunov-based Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (L-MADDPG) method that jointly optimizes computing task distribution and radio resource allocation to minimize energy consumption and delay requirements. We evaluate the trade-offs between the performance of the optimization algorithm, queuing model, and energy consumption. We first examine delay, queue and energy models for task execution at the vehicle or RSU, followed by the L-MADDPG algorithm for jointly optimizing task offloading and resource allocation problems to reduce energy consumption without compromising performance. Our simulation results show that our algorithm can reduce energy consumption while maintaining system performance compared to existing algorithms.

5 September 2017 in Electronics
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
NHNOHA HASSAN
NOHA HASSAN
Xavier FernandoXavier Fernando
Xavier Fernando
Massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) systems use few hundred antennas to simultaneously serve large number of wireless broadband terminals. It has been incorporated into standards like long term evolution (LTE) and IEEE802.11 (Wi-Fi). Basically, the more the antennas, the better shall be the performance. Massive MIMO systems envision accurate beamforming and decoding with simpler and possibly linear algorithms. However, efficient signal processing techniques have to be used at both ends to overcome the signaling overhead complexity. There are few fundamental issues about massive MIMO networks that need to be better understood before their successful deployment. In this paper, we present a detailed review of massive MIMO homogeneous, and heterogeneous systems, highlighting key system components, pros, cons, and research directions. In addition, we emphasize the advantage of employing millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency in the beamforming, and precoding operations in single, and multi-tier massive MIMO systems.

13 December 2021 in IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
AKAnitha Saravana Kumar
Anitha Saravana Kumar
Lian ZhaoLian Zhao
Lian Zhao
Xavier FernandoXavier Fernando
Xavier Fernando
Channel allocation has a direct and profound impact on the performance of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) networks. Considering the dynamic nature of vehicular environments, it is appealing to devise a blended strategy to perform effective resource sharing. In this paper, we exploit deep learning techniques predict vehicles’ mobility patterns. Then we propose an architecture consisting of centralized decision making and distributed channel allocation to maximize the spectrum efficiency of all vehicles involved. To achieve this, we leverage two deep reinforcement learning techniques, namely deep Q-network (DQN) and advantage actor-critic (A2C) techniques. In addition, given the time varying nature of the user mobility, we further incorporate the long short-term memory (LSTM) into DQN and A2C techniques. The combined system tracks user mobility, varying demands and channel conditions and adapt resource allocation dynamically. We verify the performance of the proposed methods through extensive simulations and prove the effectiveness of the proposed LSTM-DQN and LSTM-A2C algorithms using real data obtained from California state transportation department.