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Technical University of Munich

Advanced Seminar Embedded Systems and Internet of Things

Application Process

Due to the high interest in our seminar topics we use an application process to assign the topics.

If you are interested in one of the topics below, please send your application together with your CV and your transcript of records to seminar.esi.ei(at)tum.de. Express your interest and explain why you want to have that specific topic and why you think that you are most suitable for the topic. This allows us to choose the most suitable candidate for the desired topic to maximize the seminar's learning outcome and to avoid dropouts.

Additionally, you can indicate a second topic that you would like to take, such that we can still find a topic for you if your primary choice is not available.

Deadline: We encourage you to apply until the 07.04.2023. Afterwards we will assign the topics and notify all applicants. After this date, we will answer to requests within 3 days (until 11th of April), assuming that there is enough motivation for the given topic. Once you are given the topic, we will ask for your confirmation. You must confirm your participation until the 14th of April.

Note: We do not assign topics on a first-come-first-served basis. Even though we appreciate your interest if you have asked or applied early for a topic we can not guarantee that you get a seat. Generally we have 3-4 applicants per topic. Please think carefully if you are able to do the work required as we have to reject other students. Generally, email clients remember the people you have communicated with.

Kick-off meeting

This semester the seminar will be conducted in physical mode. This means that you must join the physical classes and presentation which you will find on the Moodle page. Additionally, you can schedule weekly meetings with your supervisor via Zoom or on campus. Lecture materials and videos will be available on Moodle.

The kick-off meeting will be on the 19th of April at 9:45 on Campus. We ask all successfully selected participants to be present in the kick-off meeting. Please notify us in case you can not make it to the meeting, otherwise we will assume that you are no longer interested and give your place to another applicant.

Topics

This semester we offer the following 9 topics for the advanced seminar "Embedded Systems and Internet of Things":

  1. Comparing Two-party Computation Frameworks
  2. Investigating Vector Commitment Schemes
  3. Data Structures for Private On-chain States
  4. State-of-the-Art Advances in 5G Fixed Wireless Access: A Comprehensive Survey of Recent Research and Development
  5. Private Information Retrieval
  6. Folding schemes for Recursive SNARKs
  7. Data Attestations on the Web
  8. Survery on Semantic Web Technologies
  9. Resilient Wireless Communication for Railway Automation and Control Systems

You will find the description of the topics below. Furthermore, we gave you a few references for each topic as a starting point for your research. Your task for each topic will be to read and analyze related literature, get an overview of the current state of the art and summarize your findings in a paper-style four page report. Afterwards you will present your findings in a "mini-conference" in front of your fellow students.

During the seminar you will also learn how to conduct research, how to write a scientific paper, and how to present your work.

 

1. Comparing Two-party Computation Frameworks

Description: Two-party computation (2PC) is a technique of secure computation which is gaining importance in the application area of decentralized oracles. Over the years, several optimizations and assumptions in 2PC settings have been solved, which frameworks partly address. Yet, a recent comparison of the latest 2PC frameworks and their features is of interest. The task of the student is to perform a comparison of latest 2PC framework implementations and scientific papers.

References:

Supervisor: Jan Lauinger

assigned

2. Investigating Vector Commitment Schemes

Description: Vector commitments are increasingly important due to different possible instantiations and flexible opening schemes. The task of the student is to provide an overview of possible vector commitment instantiations and opening schemes.

References:

Supervisor: Jan Lauinger

open

3. Data Structures for Private On-chain States

Description: Today, it is practical to perform zkSNARK on-chain verification on popular blockchains such as Ethereum. zkSNARKs bring interesting properties of confidentiality, credibility, and compression which can now be applied to data managed on-chain. For example, PolygonID manages confidential user data with the help of zkSNARKs. PolygonID uses specific data structures (e.g. sparse merkle trees) to provide confidential but credible state updates. The task of the student is to investigate (list and compare) latest data structures which are used to trace, verify, and maintain on-chain state changes which depend on zkSNARK proofs.

References:

Supervisor: Jan Lauinger

assigned

4. State-of-the-Art Advances in 5G Fixed Wireless Access: A Comprehensive Survey of Recent Research and Development

Description: This topic would provide a broad overview of the latest advancements in 5G FWA technology, including the use of massive MIMO, beamforming, and software-defined networking (SDN). It would cover recent research trends, such as the development of new antenna technologies, protocols for interference management, and optimization techniques. The survey would also examine the current state-of-the-art in FWA networks, including their deployment strategies, key features, and limitations. Finally, the survey would explore the future prospects of 5G FWA technology, including its potential to enable new applications such as augmented reality, smart homes, and smart cities.

References:

Supervisor: Mustafa Selman Akinci

assigned

5. Private Information Retrieval

Description: In this seminar, we will delve into the recent advancements in the field of Private Information Retrieval (PIR), with a focus on the development of a practical sublinear-time single-server PIR scheme (ref). The proposed scheme boasts optimal client storage and server computation, only requiring the assumption of the existence of One Way Functions (OWF). Utilizing lightweight cryptography, such as Pseudo-Random Functions (PRFs), this scheme achieves amortized ̃O(√n) online server computation, client computation, and O(√n) online communication per query, with ̃Oλ(√n) client storage.

The task in this seminar is threefold:

  1. Introduction to Private Information Retrieval (PIR) and its applications.
  2. Overview of existing PIR schemes and their limitations.
  3. In-depth analysis of the proposed sublinear-time single-server PIR scheme, based on lightweight cryptography.

Supervisor: Jens Ernstberger

assigned

6. Folding schemes for Recursive SNARKs

Description: The seminar task involves proposing a topic based on two research papers related to the field of recursive proof systems for incremental verifiable computation (IVC). The student will write a 4-page report on the chosen topic, covering an introduction to IVC, an introduction to Nova, and an explanation of SuperNova's improvements over Nova for stateful machines. The report should provide a comprehensive understanding of SuperNova's use of folding schemes and how it overcomes the limitations of Nova. The report should be well-organized, clear and concise, and provide a deeper understanding of the significance of SuperNova's approach for IVC and recursive proof systems. The task encourages the development of research skills, critical thinking, and effective communication in the field of IVC.

  1. Explain the concept of incremental verifiable computation (IVC) and how it differs from traditional verifiable computation. Discuss some potential applications for IVC.
  2. Provide an overview of Nova, a recursive proof system for stateless machines, and how it works. Explain the limitations of Nova for stateful machines and the need for a new approach.
  3. Describe SuperNova's approach to realizing IVC for stateful machines, including its use of folding schemes. Discuss how SuperNova improves upon Nova for stateful machines and the benefits of its approach for IVC.

Supervisor: Jens Ernstberger

open

7. Data Attestations on the Web

Description: In this seminar topic, your task is to provide a comprehensive overview of data attestations on the web, specifically focusing on the use of digital signatures on PDF files and how SNARKs can be utilized to improve privacy and security in this context.

In detail, the tasks are the following:

  1. Provide an overview of standardizations for signatures on PDF files, including the different types of digital signatures and technical specifications for creating and verifying them.
  2. Investigate the use of digital attestations on PDFs in various countries, specifically focusing on critical assertions of identity and medical data like vaccination certificates.
  3. Explore how SNARKs can be used to overcome privacy challenges in proving ownership of a digitally signed PDF, including technical aspects and potential benefits and limitations.

Supervisor: Jens Ernstberger

assigned

8. Survey on Semantic Web Technologies

Description: Semantic Web Technologies are a set of standards and technologies that enable machines to understand and process the content of the Web in a more intelligent way. The Semantic Web builds on top of the existing Web infrastructure, but it adds a layer of meaning to the content on the Web, making it easier for machines to process and interpret. The task of the student is to perform a survey describing the main components in the Semantic Web and how they relate to each other such as:

  • Resource Description Framework (RDF)
  • Ontologies
  • Web Ontology Language (OWL)
  • SPARQL
  • SHACL

References:

Supervisor: Fady Salama

assigned

9. Resilient Wireless Communication for Railway Automation and Control Systems

Description: Future automated high-speed rail systems such as the Chuo Shinkansen and Hyperloop systems pose new challenges for railway automation and control systems. These systems use magnetic levitation instead of conventional railway systems. Such systems do not have a physical connection to the rail and, thus, can only connect wireless to the respective control system. To achieve high safety and reliability, resilient wireless technologies are required. Whilst other sectors, like the industrial domain, have already adopted the use of resilient wireless technologies such as WirelessHART, LTE-R, and 5G, railway systems continue to depend on custom-made non-standardized solutions for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication. The transition from traditional communication systems to advanced wireless solutions involves numerous challenges, including security concerns, network reliability, and interoperability. The objective is to identify and examine on those challenges while exploring potential solutions with special regard to controlling and monitoring high-speed rail systems.

References:

Supervisor: Julian Demicoli

assigned

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