Moeness Amin, PhD

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Director of the Center for Advanced Communications | Villanova College of Engineering

Moeness Amin, PhD, is an expert in the theory of signal and array processing with applications to radar, sonar, and communications

Media

Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging

Through-the-wall radar imaging (TWRI) allows police, fire and rescue personnel, first responders, and defense forces to detect, identify, classify, and track the whereabouts of humans and moving objects. Electromagnetic waves are considered the most effective at achieving this objective, yet advances in this multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary technology require taking phenomenological issues into consideration and must be based on a solid understanding of the intricacies of EM wave interactions with interior and exterior objects and structures. Providing a broad overview of the myriad factors involved, namely size, weight, mobility, acquisition time, aperture distribution, power, bandwidth, standoff distance, and, most importantly, reliable performance and delivery of accurate information, Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging examines this technology from the algorithmic, modeling, experimentation, and system design perspectives. It begins with coverage of the electromagnetic properties of walls and building materials, and discusses techniques in the design of antenna elements and array configurations, beamforming concepts and issues, and the use of antenna array with collocated and distributed apertures. Detailed chapters discuss several suitable waveforms inverse scattering approaches and revolve around the relevance of physical-based model approaches in TWRI along with theoretical and experimental research in 3D building tomography using microwave remote sensing, high-frequency asymptotic modeling methods, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques, impulse radars, airborne radar imaging of multi-floor buildings strategies for target detection, and detection of concealed targets. The book concludes with a discussion of how the Doppler principle can be used to measure motion at a very fine level of detail. The book provides a deep understanding of the challenges of TWRI, stressing its multidisciplinary and phenomenological nature. The breadth and depth of topics covered presents a highly detailed treatment of this potentially life-saving technology.

Compressive Sensing for Urban Radar

With the emergence of compressive sensing and sparse signal reconstruction, approaches to urban radar have shifted toward relaxed constraints on signal sampling schemes in time and space, and to effectively address logistic difficulties in data acquisition. Traditionally, these challenges have hindered high resolution imaging by restricting both bandwidth and aperture, and by imposing uniformity and bounds on sampling rates. Compressive Sensing for Urban Radar is the first book to focus on a hybrid of two key areas: compressive sensing and urban sensing. It explains how reliable imaging, tracking, and localization of indoor targets can be achieved using compressed observations that amount to a tiny percentage of the entire data volume. Capturing the latest and most important advances in the field, this state-of-the-art text: Covers both ground-based and airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and uses different signal waveforms Demonstrates successful applications of compressive sensing for target detection and revealing building interiors Describes problems facing urban radar and highlights sparse reconstruction techniques applicable to urban environments Deals with both stationary and moving indoor targets in the presence of wall clutter and multipath exploitation Provides numerous supporting examples using real data and computational electromagnetic modeling Featuring 13 chapters written by leading researchers and experts, Compressive Sensing for Urban Radar is a useful and authoritative reference for radar engineers and defense contractors, as well as a seminal work for graduate students and academia.

Radar for In-Door Monitoring: Detection, Classification, and Assessment

This book aims to capture recent advances and breakthroughs in in-home radar monitoring of human motions and activities. It addresses three key attributes of radar for in-door human monitoring, namely: motion classification including fall, detection of vital signs, and categorization of human gait for risk assessment and progression of physical impairments and disabilities. It explores recent developments in radar technology for human monitoring inside homes and residences. The reader will learn enhanced detection and classification techniques of radar signals associated with human micro- and macro-motions. Furthermore, the book includes examples using real data collected from healthy individuals, patients, and retirement communities based on the subject Doppler and range information, and using different single and multi-antenna radar system configurations. Results are also presented using modeled data based on biomechanics and kinematics. Indoor monitoring is further demonstrated using alternative technologies of infrared sensors and RF signals of opportunities.

Moeness Amin discusses his Humboldt Prize (April 2016)

Engineering professor Moeness Amin discusses winning the Humboldt Prize for his radar signal processing research with KYW Newsradio.

Examining the Use of Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging to Assist the Elderly Living Alone

Examining the Use of Through-the-Wall Radar Imaging to Assist the Elderly Living Alone The United States is facing a great challenge as the number of aging Americans is rapidly rising. Right now, 40 million Americans are over the age of 65, and the Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2030, 80 million Americans will be 65 or older. Due to these rising statistics, families, communities and health care providers are at a cross-road in terms of how to best serve this growing aging population. Many elderly individuals choose to live alone, which poses a great risk as falls and other ailments become more likely as a person ages. In order to increase the safety and security of an elderly person living alone, researchers at Villanova University are examining the use of through-the-wall radar technology to detect falls and monitor the elderly in their individual living spaces. Dr. Moeness Amin, Director of the Center for Advanced Communications in the College of Engineering at Villanova University, is the Principal Investigator for this project. An internationally recognized expert in the area of radar imaging, Dr. Amin's research focuses on various applications for this technology, including search and rescue, defense, and law enforcement. He has edited two books on the subject and written more than 150 articles related to radar signal processing and imaging methods. Dr. Amin and his team, through a grant from Qatar University, are now developing a series of algorithms to identify the patterns and routines of an elderly person in his or her home. The radar, with the help of these algorithms, can detect when a person is sitting, standing, walking, etc., and when a person is at risk for injury. Elderly motion detection and classification can be achieved in all rooms inside the home with one or few radar units, utilizing the radar capability of "seeing" through walls. Graduate students in the College of Engineering were trained in walking, falling, and functioning like an elderly person and experiments were conducted in the radar-imaging lab on Villanova's campus. Kelly Nestor, MSN, ANP-BC, a clinical instructor in Villanova's College of Nursing and an expert in the growing elderly population, educated and trained the students on how the elderly carry themselves and walk -- with or without the assistance of canes or walkers.

Areas of Expertise (9)

Array Signal Processing
Machine Learning
Radar Imaging
Radar
Satellite Navigations
Smart Antennas
Sonar
Surveillance
Wireless Communications

Biography

Dr. Amin is an internationally recognized expert who has made major contributions to the advances of the theory of signal and array processing with applications to radar, sonar, communications, satellite navigations, ultrasound, healthcare, and RFID. He is the world lead expert on through-the-wall radar imaging, which could have applications for search and rescue and law enforcement. Innovations generated by the Center have important functions in both industry and government. The holder of two U.S. patents, Dr. Amin has over 750 journal and conference publications in the areas of wireless communication, time-frequency analysis, smart antennas, interference cancellation in broadband communication platforms, anti-jam GPS, compressive sensing, target detection, classification, localization and tracking, multiple-input multiple-output radar and communications, and frequency spectrum sharing and co-existence. Dr. Amin is a fellow of four societies and recipient of three technical achievement awards.

Education (3)

University of Colorado Boulder: PhD
University of Petroleum and Minerals: MSEE
Cairo University: BS

Select Accomplishments (6)

2022 IEEE Picard Gold Medal in Radar Technologies and Applications (PROFESSIONAL)

1/1/1970

The IEEE Dennis J. Picard Medal for Radar Technologies and Applications was established in 1999, in honor of Dennis J. Picard. Dr. Amin was recognized for his contributions to radar signal processing across a wide range of applications including through-the-wall imaging and health monitoring.

2017 Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Advanced Defense Science and Technology (PROFESSIONAL)

1/1/1970

The Fulbright Distinguished Chair Awards comprise approximately 40 distinguished lecturing, research and lecturing/research awards that range from three to 12 month tenures. Dr. Amin’s Fulbright Distinguished Chair appointment is to the Defense Science and Technology Group (DSTG), Australia.

2016 Alexander von Humboldt Prize (PROFESSIONAL)

1/1/1970

The Alexander von Humboldt Prize is sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This international honor recognizes the lifetime achievements of researchers whose fundamental discoveries and new theories and insights have had a significant impact on their discipline, and who are “expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future. Dr. Amin will spend a period of total six months from 2016 to 2019 at the Technical University of Darmstadt.

2016 IET Achievement Medal (PROFESSIONAL)

1/1/1970

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Achievement Medals are awarded to individuals who have made major and distinguished contributions in the various sectors of science, engineering and technology, covering energy, transport, manufacturing, information and communications, and the built environment. Dr. Amin’s award reflects his outstanding achievements and seminal contributions to signal analysis and processing over the past three decades.

2014 IEEE Signal Processing Society Technical Achievement Award (PROFESSIONAL)

1/1/1970

This award, given by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, Signal Processing Society, honors a person who, over a period of years, has made outstanding technical contributions to theory and/or practice in technical areas within the scope of the Society. Dr. Amin’s award citation is "for fundamental contributions to signal processing algorithms for communications, satellite navigations, and radar imaging."

2009 EURASP Individual Technical Achievement Award (PROFESSIONAL)

1/1/1970

The European Association of Signal Processing grants the Technical Achievement Award to a scientist who has made significant research contributions in Signal Processing Theory and Applications. Dr. Amin’s citation is “for contributions to radar imaging and interference mitigation in communications and navigation systems.”

Links (1)

Villanova University Center for Advanced Communications

Affiliations (1)

Member of the Board of the Proceedings for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Select Media Appearances (7)

NextUp: The Philly Company Working on a Wearable Device to Detect COVID-19 Symptoms

Philadelphia Magazine

9/30/2020

Who: The founders of the University City-based medical device company RTM Vital Signs are proof of Philadelphia’s propensity for bringing researchers and scientists together. The company’s chief executive officer, Nance Dicciani, met co-founder Jefferey Joseph roughly 30 years ago in Philadelphia when she and Joseph’s wife worked together at Rohm and Haas, a specialty chemicals manufacturer now owned by Dow Chemical. Dicciani also met the company’s third co-founder, Denise Devine, in Philadelphia roughly two decades ago, when the two fellow alums of Villanova University found themselves serving together on the university’s Board of Trustees. In 2014, Joseph, a cardiac anesthesiologist, researcher, and innovator of medical device technology; Devine, a business executive with over 25 years of leadership experience in general management, operations, and finance; and Dicciani, the former president and CEO of Honeywell’s $5 billion Specialty Materials Business Group with experience in engineering, research, and business management, combined their unique skillsets to launch RTM Vital Signs, a medical device company focused on developing tools that enable real-time sensing, monitoring, and analyzing of critical health information.

COVID-19 Sensor Uses Tech Developed by Villanova Professor

KYW Newsradio

9/24/2020

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Villanova University engineering professor has developed technology for a sensor that can detect whether someone may have early symptoms of COVID-19. Moeness Amin, a signal processing engineer, is director of the Villanova College of Engineering Center for Advanced Communications. He came up with the algorithm, or mathematical process, to get the remote monitoring system to work. The sensor, the size of a quarter, is worn on the outside of the trachea or neck area, and is connected by way of Bluetooth technology to a smart phone. A COVID-19 sensor uses a small electronic device glued to the neck area where it can monitor the trachea for breathing. He said it can yield critical data that medical professionals can use to detect the early symptoms of COVID-19.

New Tools Let Police See Inside Peoples' Homes

National Public Radio - Marketplace

1/1/1970

2015 "I talked to a guy who evaluated the range R and other devices for the Army research lab, his name is Moeness Amin, and he's a Professor of Engineering at Villanova. 'If you use very high resolution you can resolve the arms, the legs and maybe the torso, but the problem with high-resolution, you have to use veer high frequencies and high frequencies do not penetrate the wall.'"

X-Ray Vision is Here

PBS - NovaNext

9/24/2014

Another problem was accuracy. Moeness Amin, director of the Center for Advanced Communications at Villanova University in Pennsylvania, says proponents of through wall imaging promised more than the technology could deliver. “They were very ambitious in terms of what the physics could actually allow,” he says. “Most assumptions from the lab were unfortunately invalid because the real world is very complicated. When a frequency goes through a wall it hits not only you but the chair, the ceiling, the filing cabinets, the interior walls. There is a lot of clutter and the radar hits all of this.”

Keeping the Elderly Safe with RADAR: Technology Could Help Track Breathing, Heart Rates and Accidents

The Daily Mail

5/9/2014

Could radar be the answer to keeping an eye on elderly people without invading their privacy? That’s what a team of researchers at Villanova University in Pennsylvania are aiming to prove with their experiment. They say using radar could keep track of older relatives and even detect when they fall over.

New Technologies to Help Seniors Age in Place

The Wall Street Journal

6/2/2014

Urban radar has been used by the military to find and observe people hidden in buildings from a distance. The goal with the elderly is to detect a fall without disturbing them unless they have just fallen. "The whole idea is you cannot have visual access to inside," says Moeness Amin, director of the Center for Advanced Communications at Villanova University.

Who Will Watch You Fall? A Radar Detection Program for the Elderly

The Atlantic

4/21/2014

Dr. Moeness Amin is the director of the Center for Advanced Communications in the college of engineering at Villanova University. He was the lone academic representative at several NATO conferences on through-the-wall radar imaging. Amin’s research focuses on various applications for radar motion-detection technology, including search and rescue, military, and law enforcement such as robberies and hostage situations. Now it also includes using radar to identify when people fall in their homes.