ITR/Collaborative Research: FPGA Wavelet Image Compression Systems for Mobile Wireless Networks

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In many imaging applications, mobile agents--such as untethered reconnaissance robots and micro air vehicles--transmit and receive bandwidth-intensive image data over wireless networks. A key issue in developing small, mobile agents is minimizing their power requirements. The most significant source of power dissipation in a wireless communications system is the transmission of data over the wireless link. Compressing the data before transmission is a direct way to significantly decrease power requirements; thus, effective image compression algorithms are critical to realizing a mobile, wireless, real-time, high quality imaging system.Various hardware platforms can be considered for mobile computing. Of these platforms, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are the most compelling for wireless, mobile, fast, low-power, handheld/wearable/embedded, image compression devices. FPGAs can be used as the basis for implementations that are low cost, easily updated, and significantly faster than microprocessor-based implementations.The objective of this project is twofold: to design new, efficient image compression algorithms and to design, build, demonstrate and evaluate FPGA implementations of state-of-the-art image compression systems. Our close-knit interdisciplinary team of image compression and hardware specialists will allow for end-to-end system performance analysis. This critical assessment is almost never performed and yet it is important to understanding the combined effects of algorithmic and implementation design choices.In addition, two or three real-world interdisciplinary projects that can be utilized in senior-level digital signal processing and digital design classes will be designed and published.