CGA professors' research wins Best Paper Overall at Homeland Security Technology conference

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Diana Honings

NEW LONDON, Conn. – A team of researchers from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the University of Rhode Island won the Best Paper Overall category November 2010 at the Homeland Security Technology conference sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers in Boston.

The paper, titled Augmenting the DGPS Broadcast with Emergency Information Potential Coverage and Data Rate, was researched and written by Richard Hartnett, a professor in electrical and computer engineering at the Coast Guard Academy; Peter Swaszek, a professor in the department of electrical, computer and biomedical engineering at the University of Rhode Island; and recently deceased Keith Gross, former professor and head of electrical and computer engineering at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

Hartnett, Swaszek and Gross developed methodology that allows the enhanced global positioning system, known as Differential GPS, to simultaneously transmit emergency messages, while still transmitting differential correction messages for the global positioning system. Their methods are considered to be more robust than classical cellular network based dissemination of emergency message traffic. DGPS has been widely used since the 1980s.

DGPS needs additional testing, but Swaszek says he believes the system could be operational within three years.

DGPS could be a good tool for Department of Homeland Security because it uses existing infrastructure and fills a need within the emergency communication system, Swaszek said.

“I am incredibly pleased this research got recognized at the IEEE conference,” said Swaszek. “I hope those in government will see it as a useful tool, and they can give it a push to get it implemented.”

The conference, which was held in November, was designed to bring together leaders in science and technology to foster homeland security technology innovation.

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