Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Member of Communications and Signal Processing Research Group. Manager and active researcher on projects in underwater acoustics, biomedical instrumentation and optical sensing. Supervisor of Postgraduate Students and Undergraduate/MSc project work and teaching on 2 undergraduate and 2 postgraduate taught modules. As Director of Engagement for the school of EECE I am also actively involved in outreach activities with industry, schools and the community.

Research Interests

Digital signal processing, digital communications, biomedical instrumentation, underwater acoustics, analog and digital circuit design, embedded software.

Current Work

Recent projects:
Wireless environmental sensor networks (EPSRC MESSAGE project)
Development of low cost medical ultrasound scanners (POC).
Development of high data rate through metal communication and power delivery systems.
Development of low cost acoustic communication and positioning system for divers and underwater vehicles, Knowledge Transfer Partnership with System Technologies, Cumbria.
Development of Optical Fire Detection System, Industry Funded project with Photon Fire Ltd.
Development of digital control algorithms for MEMS Gyroscopes, Collaborative Project with School of Mechanical Engineering.
Development of position and pressure instrumentation for endoscopy, sponsored by Prof Duncan Bell's Endoscopy Research Fund.
Development of instrumentation for assessment of Parkinson's Disease.
Development of underwater EM communication links, funded by Wireless Fibre Systems Ltd.

Postgraduate Supervision

Mr David Graham - High data rate through metal communication
Mr Geraint Goodfellow - Development of acoustic controlled autonomous underwater vehicle
Mr Ali Kadafur - Underwater wireless sensor networks
Mr Chintan Shah - Iterative receiver structures for underwater acoustic communication
Mr Raghav Menon - Novel Processing for broadband Interferometric Sonar
Mr Gihad Elamary - High Bandwidth Transcutaneous Data Telemetry

PhDs awarded:-
Mr Mou Tang - Position Tracking for Surgical Applications Using Passive RFID Technology
Mr Deli Geng - "High Refresh Rate Three Dimensional Positioning System using Frequency Multiplexed Electromagnetic Fields"
Miss Su Yu - "Quantitative Assessment for Parkinson’s Disease and Analysis on Applications Applying 3D Electromagnetic Motion System"

Esteem Indicators

In 2007 I was awarded a prize by the IET and BSAC for my contribution to diver safety in the development of the Divetrack system.
My Underwater Electromagnetic Modem product, developed with Wireless Fibre System Ltd, was awarded the Defence Technology Exchange Innovation Award 2006.
Invited author/speaker for the following events:-
The 7th European Conference on Underwater Acoustics, Delft, Netherlands, July 2004.
Unmmanned Underwater Vehicle Showcase (UUV2000), Southampton Oceanography Centre, Sept 2000.
Subsea 2000, Society for Underwater Technology, Aberdeen, March 2000.
Colloquium on Adaptive Signal Processing for mobile communication systems, IEE Signal Processing Division, London, UK, Oct 29 1997.

I have also acted as a consultant to the following companies:-
Tritech International Ltd
Bioinnovel
System Technologies
STN Atlas Gmbh
Photon Fire Ltd

Funding

Recent Awards:-
£126,000 - "Acoustic and vibration sensor systems for wind turbine condition monitoring", Knowledge Transfer Partnership, DTI / CMR UK
£90,000 - "Development of ultra-low cost ultrasound scanner" - NStar Proof of Concept fund.
£143,145 - EPSRC Grant “A Stable Parametrically Amplified Gyroscope”
£101,544 - "Development of low-cost acoustic communication and positioning system", Knowledge Transfer Partnership, DTI/System Technologies.
£24,000 - "Development of Optical Fire Detection System", ERDF/Photon Fire Ltd.
£27,400 - "Development of Underwater Electromagnetic Modems", Wireless Fibre Systems Ltd/Scottish Executive.

Industrial Relevance

My work on underwater acoustic and EM communication and positioning has led to a range of innovative products which are now marketed by Tritech International Ltd (www.tritech.co.uk) and Wireless Fibre Systems Ltd. This technology has been licenced to these companies and generates royalty income for the University.
My work on wireless environmental sensor networks has led to a spin-off company named Envirowatch Ltd sell the technology under licence.
I am a director of the Resource Centre for Innovation and Design which offers consultant product design, analysis and prototyping for industrial clients to ISO9001 standards.

Projects

• Development of an Imaging System Based on Magnetic Resources.
• Doppler Tolerant Receiver
  Project Leader(s): Prof. B.S. Sharif

Undergraduate Teaching

EEE1003 - Stage I Circuit Theory
EEE2008 - Stage II Project & Professional issues

Postgraduate Teaching

EEE8092 - MSc Wireless Sensor Network Coursework
EEE8072 - Subsea Communication and control

• Shah CP, Tsimenidis CC, Sharif BS, Neasham JA. Low Complexity Iterative Receiver Structure for Time Varying Frequency Selective Shallow Underwater Acoustic Channels using BICM-ID: Design and Experimental Results. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 2011, 36(3), 406-421.
• Bouzid OM, Tian GY, Neasham J, Sharif B. Investigation of sampling frequency requirements for acoustic source localisation using wireless sensor networks. Applied Acoustics 2012, (epub ahead of print).
• Shah C, Tsimenidis C, Sharif B, Neasham J. EXIT chart analysis of BICM-ID based receiver for shallow underwater acoustic communications. In: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems (ISWCS). 2010, York, UK: IEEE.
• Shah CP, Tsimenidis CC, Sharif BS, Neasham JA. Low complexity iterative receiver design for shallow water acoustic channels. EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing 2010, 590458.
• Harish KM, Gallacher BJ, Burdess JS, Neasham JA. Experimental investigation of parametric and externally forced motion in resonant MEMS sensors. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering 2009, 19(1), -.
• North RJ, Cohen J, Wilkins S, Richards M, Hoose N, Polak JW, Bell MC, Blythe P, Sharif B, Neasham J, Suresh V, Galatioto F, Hill G. Field deployment of the MESSAGE System for environmental monitoring. Traffic Engineering & Control 2009,50 11 484-488.
• Tang M, Chester G, Neasham JA. An RFID Transponder Location System. In: Biodevices: International Conference on Biomedical Electronics and Devices.2008,Funchal, Madeira, Portugal:Springer
• Khan MK, Carrasco RA, Wassell IJ, Neasham JA. Performance comparison of low density parity check codes using square root Kalman equalisation and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing techniques for broadband fixed wireless access systems. IET Communications 2008, 2(2), 272-283.
• Harish KM, Gallacher BJ, Burdess JS, Neasham JA. Simple parametric resonance in an electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical gyroscope: Theory and experiment. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C: Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science 2008, 222(1), 43-52.
• Neasham JA, Menon R, Hinton OR. Broadband, ultra-sparse array processing for low complexity multibeam sonar imaging. In: OCEANS 2007 - Europe. 2007, Vancouver, Canada: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
• Van Walree PA, Neasham JA, Schrijver MC. Coherent acoustic communication in a tidal estuary with busy shipping traffic. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 2007, 122(6), 3495-3506.
• Neasham J, Hinton O. Underwater Acoustic Communications - how far have we progressed and what challenges remain?. In: Invited Keynote paper, Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Underwater Acoustics.2004,Delft, Netherlands
• Sharif BS, Neasham J, Hinton OR, Adams AE. A computationally efficient Doppler compensation system for underwater acoustic communications. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 2000, 25(1), 52-61.
• Abdelkareem AE, Sharif BS, Tsimenidis CC, Neasham JA. Adaptive Doppler-shift compensation for OFDM underwater acoustic communications system. In: 4th International Conference and Exhibition Underwater Acoustic Measurements: Technologies & Results. 2011, Kos, Greece.
• Bell MC, Galatioto F, Hill G, Hodges N, Neasham J. Application of low cost pervasive monitoring to validate models and assess performance of ITS technology implemented to improve the environment. In: 8th ITS European Congress. 2011, Lyon, France.
• Goodfellow GM, Neasham JA, Tsimenidis CC, Hinton OR, Sharif BS. Investigation of a Full Duplex Acoustic Link for a Tetherless Micro-ROV. In: IEEE Oceans Spain. 2011, Santander, Spain: IEEE.
• Abdelkareem AE, Sharif BS, Tsimenidis CC, Neasham JA, Hinton OR. Low-Complexity Doppler Compensation for OFDM-based Underwater Acoustic Communication Systems. In: IEEE Oceans Spain. 2011, Santander, Spain: IEEE.
• Mohammed IK, Sharif BS, Neasham JA, Giaouris D. Novel MIMO 4-DOF Position Control for Capsule Endoscope. In: International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS). 2011, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: IEEE.
• Shah CP, Tsimenidis CC, Sharif BS, Neasham JA, Hinton OR. Adaptive iterative receiver design for shallow water acoustic communications. In: The 10th European Conference on Underwater Acoustics (ECUA). 2010, Istanbul, Turkey.
• Sharif BS, Neasham J, Hinton OR, Adams AE, Davies J. Adaptive Doppler compensation for coherent acoustic communication. IEE Proceedings: Radar, Sonar and Navigation 2000, 147(5), 239-246.
• Sharif BS, Neasham J, Hinton OR, Adams AE. Closed loop Doppler tracking and compensation for non-stationary underwater platforms. In: Oceans 2000 MTS/IEEE Conference and Exhibition. Conference Proceedings. 2000, Providence, RI, USA: Institution of Electronic and Electrical Engineers.
• Sharif Bayan S, Neasham Jeff, Hinton Oliver R, Adams Alan E. Doppler compensation for underwater acoustic communications. In: OCEANS '99 MTS/IEEE. Riding the Crest into the 21st Century. 1999, Seattle, WA , USA: IEEE.