Lab About

Our Lab

The central philosophy of the Drexel Wireless Systems Laboratory (DWSL) is to take a systems-centric view of new and emerging wireless technologies using a combination of interdisciplinary research and hardware prototyping. Two recurring themes involve the extension of: i.) software defined / cognitive radio to modalities beyond only radio, and ii.) the principle of “diversity” outside of exclusive use in radio frequency communications. The realization of this research philosophy has taken the following forms:

  • Interdisciplinary research across traditionally separate areas towards practical applications. For example, DWSL smart textile research involves collaboration between engineering, medicine, and fashion design for the realization of unobtrusive biomedical smart textile systems. Similarly, DWSL reconfigurable antenna research is not only informed by computational electromagnetics and radio frequency design. The research also considers how reconfigurable antenna design influences, and is influenced by, metrics in algorithms pertaining to link adaptive modulation, ad-hoc network interference mitigation, interference alignment, dynamics spectrum access, network routing tables, as well as physical layer encryption key generation and user authentication.

  • Hardware Prototyping of systems usually considered only theoretically or by simulation. Specifically, this goal involves extending emerging technologies in software defined and cognitive radio to include: i.) transceiver hardware reconfigurability, as opposed to flexibility only in modulation and signal processing software, and ii.) optical and ultrasonic communication modalities, as opposed to exclusive use of radio frequency (RF).

  • Extension of the principle of “diversity” outside of exclusive use in RF communications to hybrid modality communications systems that make simultaneous, coordinated use of two or more signal propagation media. Examples of this extension include: i.) hybrid radio frequency and free space optical communications for indoor office local area networking and ii.) hybrid radio frequency and ultrasonic communications for local area networking in specialized military and industrial applications.

Ongoing projects at DWSL encompass a wide ranging number of research areas that reflects its systems level approach to studying and solving problems in wireless communications. The lab is also working with faculty members across the university to extend its research impact into diverse areas such as medicine and fashion for biomedical applications.



Kapil Dandekar, Ph.D. - Director

Kapil R. Dandekar is a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University and serves as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Engineering. He is also an affiliated faculty member in the School of Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University. Kapil holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and received his B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from The University of Virginia. He founded DWSL in 2001 after joining Drexel University.


Our Work in the Media

  • Diplomacy In The Battle For Bandwidth
    Drexel News Blog, May 2017

  • New Research Labs Foster Collaboration at Drexel’s 3101 Market St.
    Drexel Now, April 2017

  • Amid Privacy Concerns, Wearable Tech Grows in Health
    Athletic Business, January 2017

  • Wearable tech gaining in health care, but privacy is a concern
    Philly.com, January 2017

  • These Smart Threads Could Save Lives
    NSF Science Nation, September 2016

  • CoE Students at the Democratic National Convention
    Drexel News, August 2016

  • Demand for jobs high in cyber security
    Philly.com, August 2015

  • Retooling Locator Systems for Mobile 911 Calls
    Govtech.com, August 2014

  • Adant, a technology company cofounded by DWSL alumnus Daniele Piazza, is showcasing its amazing beamshaping antenna technology at CES 2013.
    December 2012

  • Smart fabric could be cheap, non-invasive way to monitor complications in pregnancy
    MedCity News, November 2012

  • Drexel engineers may soon replace E-Z Pass box with transparent antennas
    DrexelNOW, October 2010

  • Spirent Teams Up with Drexel University to Expand Research into Advanced Wireless Antenna Technologies
    BusinessWire, October 2010

  • Community Service Program Expands
    IEEE the institute article features our Senior Design activities, September 2010

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