”Peace Engineering in the 21st Century: A New
Curriculum”
Alex Lightman
Chief Technology Officer
Fortune Nest Corporation
ISTEC General Assembly
Porto Alegre, Brazil
19 May 2011
The Greatest Engineering Challenge
Doctors use a four step process.
Observation. Diagnosis. Prognosis. Prescription.
We can use a similar process for innovation:
Observation. Challenge. Forecast. Idea/Innovation.
Observation: Humans spend about $US 2 trillion on the global militaryindustrial complex.
In the 21st century we are likely to see a number of peaks: peak
population, peak oil, peak natural gas, peak uranium, peak carbon.
Challenge: Come up with a problem or challenge that is so awesome and
compelling that it gets people, companies, and governments to be
eager to join forces to meet and overcome the challenge.
Forecast: Without this, the rich countries will go bankrupt, reducing the
chance for big developing countries to achieve their full potential.
Fortune Nest
At Fortune Nest Corporation (FNC), we believe in the
power of science, technology and innovation. Such powers
will create New Economies that will transform societies by
empowering them to gain full benefits of participation in
the civilization of the 21st century.
The Big Idea: Peace Engineering
Peace Engineering
Financial Engineering
Social Engineering
Cultural Engineering
Infrastructure Engineering
Future Engineering
Peace Engineering:
The creation, integration, and replication of civilization scale modular
functions that will cause the redeployment of capital, technology,
information, and expertise away from applications that are limited to
war and security, and towards dual-use and civilian applications.
Defining, designing, developing, deploying, and debugging new and
novel applications of science, technology, organization, and narrative
to engage groups into ever greater challenges that will require ever
greater cooperation to rise to successful resolution of the challenge.
The Big Idea: Civilization Innovation
Gandi: “Consider the poorest person you know, and ask whether your
next action will make any difference to that person.”
My big question:
What’s the single greatest way to improve the world?
My big answer no. 1:
Connect all seven billion people with wireless broadband Internet and
let anyone buy, sell, borrow, loan, swap, learn, teach, talk with anyone
anywhere, anytime.
My big answer no. 2:
Improve wireless broadband Internet so that the marginal cost falls
toward zero, and the poor get the whole Internet almost for free.
Deconstructing/Reverse Engineering to achieve the objectives:
Accelerate the deployment of 4G wireless broadband by defining it.
Base it on an all-IP, end-to-end architecture (IPv6), that allows use of
new and novel spectrum, air interfaces, and more.
The Big Idea: 4G as Peace Engineering
Why 4G?
Because 4G is a global challenge. The entire world can participate in the
creation of new and novel 4G infrastructure, and is the opposite of
spending money to
What next?
I came up with 20 technologies necessary to make 4G wireless broadband
a reality. The one that did not look as though it would happen in time was
IPv6. This was the “limiting factor”, so I focused in IPv6 for five years.
What else?
Wrote the first book on 4G, Brave New Unwired World: The Digital Big
and the Infinite Internet (John Wiley, 2002); organized 4G and IPv6
conferences and days 15 times, in US, EU, Asia;
What results?
Received The Economist “Readers Award”: 4G as “innovation most likely
to radically impact entire world” 2011 to 2020; 4G is first G to be in both
unlicensed band as well as licensed band. Billions in funding for 4G.
What lessons?
ISTEC should support the creation of Peace Engineering curriculum,
based on the creation, integration and replication of challenges that will
lead directly to universal wireless broadband as the first of 100 new
infrastructures that will be affordable and available to all humanity.
K&A
W I R E L E S S, L L C
"Wireless Communications in the 21st Century:
The next generation wireless infrastructure
required to achieve Peace Engineering”
Kamil Agi, Ph.D.
President-CEO
K&A Wireless, LLC
ISTEC General Assembly
Porto Alegre, Brazil
19 May 2011
K&A - Current Enabling Technologies
• Wireless
– Analog video transmission systems for first responders (market
leader)
– MY-View short range (<3 ft) (patent pending)
– EYE-View hybrid wireless/IP video transmission systems
• Collaborative decision making, force multiplier, exchange of
information
• Image Processing
– CLIR-View patented suite of algorithms that includes NUC, electronic
image stabilization, tracking and resolution enhancement capability
• Cost effective, wireless, shutter-less, stabilized, high resolution thermal
imagers
• IP-based video and distribution solutions
• CAP-View personal DVR system, PPL-View video-based security systems
K&A - Key Focus Areas
 Rapid infrastructure deployment
- Portable IP-based infrastructure solutions
 Compression/recognition algorithm
- Video, video, video
 Wireless technologies (multi-user/multi-access)
- Cognitive radio schemes
Companies
Current Infrastructure
Devices
Industry
Trends
Vodafone is a Global Company
* Terry Kramer – Presentation at Haas School of Business, Nov 2010
A Changing Industry
1990 Voice
Network
1983
Data 2010
1991
2001
2G
GSM
1G
2009
2005
4G Trials
Enhanced
3G
3G
2010
Ultra-Low Cost
Handsets
First
cellular
phones
Devices
1984
First smart
phone with
camera
First
GSM
phones
1992
1990
2002
1997
First ‘flip
phone’
2003
2007
2008
2009
1992
First SMS
sent
Device
Bifurcation
First triband
handsets
Smartphone
Proliferation
First 3G
phones
Services
2010
1996
Pre-paid SIM
cards
launched
1999
Mobile Web
trials begin
* Terry Kramer – Presentation at Haas School of Business, Nov 2010
2002
2007
2008
Apple App
store
2009
2010
What’s happening in the world
Emerging
Market
Trends
Internet
• Fundamental change to
information access and
commerce
• Drive for access
anytime/anywhere
• Impact of social media
Telecom Industry
Changing
Customer
Behaviors
•
•
•
•
Customer conservatism
Individuality
Control & Security
Emergence of “Digital
Natives” (6-19 year olds)
•
•
•
•
85% of population increase by 2025
1 in 3 <18 years old in India
95% penetration rates by 2013
64% of 4B+ mobile subscribers
Public Policy
Competition
• Non-traditional competition (e.g.
Apple, Google)
• Growing fixed/mobile
convergence
* Terry Kramer – Presentation at Haas School of Business, Nov 2010
• Data privacy
• Net neutrality
• Spectrum awards
Defining Peace Engineering
Defining, designing, developing, deploying, and
debugging new and novel applications of science,
technology, organization, and narrative to engage
groups into ever greater challenges that will require
ever greater cooperation to rise to successful resolution
of the challenge.
Peace Engineering Concept
GIVE A PERSON ACCESS TO
ENOUGH INFORMATION TO KEEP
HIM FOCUSED
Peace Engineering Needs
 Instant access to information (i.e. Internet)
 High bandwidth (>20mbps)
 4G
 IPv6
 Ubiquitous coverage
 Ubiquitous availability of service (including BoP efforts)
Peace Engineering Issues
 Current telecom infrastructure (3G vs. 4G)– insufficient
 Current bandwidths – marginal (at best)
 Current technology (CDMA, HSDPA, UMTS, etc.) - ???
 WHAT DO WE NEED?
 NEW INFRASTRUCTURE, NEW BUSINESS MODEL, NEW
TECHNOLOGY
Next Generation Wireless
KEY FACTORS TO SUCCESS
Capabilit
y
Policy
Investment
Policy – OSTP*
…In 2011, the President (Obama) announced the
National Wireless Initiative, noting that "we can't
expect tomorrow's economy to take root using
yesterday's infrastructure…”
*Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
In the United States and beyond…
 Policy
 2010 - President Obama initiates “wireless innovation”
 Capability
 2011 NSF gets commissioned to carry out the initiative – EARS
Program
 Investment
 Budget approved for $14M for EARS
 Budget approved for $3B over 5 year for Wireless Innovation
 Working with Fortune Nest Corporation*
 Focus on Middle East
 Focus on China
*http://www.fortunenest.com/
NSF EARS Program
A component of the initiative is the Wireless Innovation
Fund, which will be used in part to support basic
research that helps pave the way for new technologies.
EARS and the research that it supports embody this facet
of the President's initiative...
What is EARS?
ENHANCED ACCESS TO RADIO SPECTRUM
 Two parts to the investment
 Basic Research (University, R&D centers, Companies)
 Multi-disciplinary
 R&D (more “R”) and Science
 Commercialization




Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR)
University/Industry collaboration
Industry leads to commercialize basic research
To transition to Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program
Dr. Andrew Clegg, EARS Program Director, telephone: (703)292-4892, email: aclegg@nsf.gov
Proposed Topics for EARS
 Security of wireless systems
 Reconfigurable wireless platforms, including cognitive radio,





software-defined radio, adaptive antennas
Spectral efficiency (“instantaneous” such as mitigation of
unwanted emissions, interference cancellation, filter
technology), “system-wide,” such as dynamic spectrum
access.
Special-purpose wireless systems, such as medical devices,
environmental surveillance, remote sensing, passive systems
Legacy: Backwards and forwards interoperability
Wireless system tests, measurements, and validation
Economic models for spectrum resource sharing
Next Steps
 Replicate model in emerging markets
 Emerging markets now have the opportunity to leapfrog
technology – become a leader
 Human capital exchange is the ISTEC model
 Work on carving up the problem, build clusters of expertise
 Collaboration
 Must be established through policy, capability and investment
THIS IS A VERY BIG PROBLEM!
Summary/Questions/Opinions
 What do we need?
 New wireless infrastructure, business models, technology
needed to support Peace Engineering initiative and curriculum
– the solution is not in one place
 How do we get it?
 Shift in existing communication infrastructure will require
investment and partnerships on a global scale – this is not easy
to do, manage, or even execute – need talent
 What are the challenges – harmonization?
 Imagine no roaming, instant access, coverage everywhere
 Standard vs. open source
 Paid service vs. free service
Contact Information
Kamil Agi, PhD
2617 Juan Tabo Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM 87112
Toll Free: 888.536.5207 x 705
Phone: 505.338.2380 x 705
Fax: 505.338.2382
kagi@ka-wireless.com
www.ka-wireless.com