Keynote Speakers

Oct. 27 (Monday) Sensing with Wireless Communication Systems: From Localization to Coherent Imaging

Joerg Widmer (IMDEA Networks, Madrid, Spain)

Abstract: Next generation wireless communication systems are increasingly capable of providing accurate sensing in addition to connectivity. By reusing spectrum and infrastructure, these systems can provide capabilities traditionally associated with radar, including precise localization and motion tracking. This keynote discusses the evolution of wireless sensing from simple device localization to advanced imaging in distributed multi-static wireless systems. The talk will cover how carrier-phase information enables fine-grained positioning, how time and frequency offsets can be handled for accurate sensing among unsynchronized devices, how sparse frequency bands can be combined to increase resolution, and how receivers can cooperate to form synthetic apertures for coherent imaging of dynamic scenes. We will emphasize experimental testbeds and real-world demonstrations, highlighting both practical challenges and opportunities in turning communication networks into pervasive sensing infrastructures.

Bio: Joerg Widmer is Research Professor and Research Director of IMDEA Networks in Madrid, Spain, where he leads the Wireless Networking Research Group. Previously, he worked at DOCOMO Euro-Labs in Munich, Germany and EPFL, Switzerland, and has held visiting researcher positions at ICSI Berkeley (USA), University College London (UK), and TU Darmstadt (Germany). His research focuses on wireless networks, ranging from extremely high frequency millimeter-wave communication and wireless sensing to mobile network architectures. Joerg Widmer authored over 250 conference and journal papers, and holds 14 patents. He was awarded an ERC consolidator grant, the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, a Mercator Fellowship of the German Research Foundation, a Spanish Ramon y Cajal grant, as well as 16 best paper awards. He is an IEEE Fellow and Distinguished Member of the ACM.

Oct. 28 (Tuesday) Empowering Next-Generation User Experiences and Services at Scale with 6G

Kiran Mukkavilli (Qualcomm)

Abstract: As we stand on the brink of a new era in wireless technology, the advent of 6G promises to revolutionize the way we interact with the digital world. In this presentation, we will discuss the transformative potential of 6G technology and explore how 6G is set to empower next-generation user experiences and services on an unprecedented scale. We will address the need for continued wireless evolution to enable integration of AI-enhanced user interfaces, consumer behaviors driven by AI, and the role of AI agents in driving network connectivity, along with the resulting architectural advancements in 6G, focusing on its ability to connect an expanded set of AI-powered devices and enable new services. We will also examine the role of 6G in leveraging on-device AI to infer and share real-time context with the network enabling real-time digital twin platforms, thus providing insights into the future of wireless technology and its potential to shape the digital landscape. Join us as we explore the opportunities for AI and wireless technologies in 6G to reduce operational expenses, enhance network efficiency, and enable new services and user experiences.

Bio: Dr. Kiran Mukkavilli is Senior Director of Engineering at Qualcomm Wireless Research, where he leads systems research for 6G focusing on Giga MIMO, Full Duplex, Sensing, IoT and Location Technologies. Since joining Qualcomm in 2003, Dr. Mukkavilli has contributed to the design, standardization, and commercialization of numerous wireless technologies, and holds over 570 granted U.S. patents. He led Qualcomm’s research and prototyping effort to establish industry’s first end-to-end 3GPP specification compliant 5G NR call with leading infrastructure vendors. He was also a principal architect of MediaFLO, Qualcomm’s mobile broadcast solution, playing a pivotal role in its product development and global rollout. As systems design lead, he also drove the commercialization of the UMTS modem in Snapdragon 800/801 platforms – one of the most successful products for Qualcomm. He has been profiled as one of the notable inventors at Qualcomm. Dr. Mukkavilli holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Rice University, and a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.