Special Tracks

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Nano-scale Communication and Networking:

Advances in nano-scale devices have motivated the engineering of nano-scale communication and networking. Nano-scale communication includes molecular, nanotube, nanowire, and quantum communication. In nano-scale communication and networking, a nano-scale device is expected to perform application specific functionality (e.g. control of nano-scale medical, environmental, or manufacturing devices) and to coordinate with large numbers of other dynamic and distributed nano-scale devices. Biological systems have demonstrated the capability of communications in these conditions, and thus, it is expected that biological mechanisms and techniques can be adapted to engineer nano-scale communication and networking systems. Recent research in nano-scale communication is working to establish the feasibility and characteristics of these nano-scale communication and networking systems.

The objective of the special track on Nano-scale Communication and Networking is to provide a forum for researchers and industry practitioners to exchange and discuss latest design and analysis for nano-scale communication and networking systems. Namely, we are interested in establishing the feasibility and characteristics of nano-scale communication and networking through the application, design, modelling, theoretical analysis, and simulation of nano-scale communication and networking.

This special track seeks high-quality, original and unpublished papers addressing topics relevant to the issues raised above, including:

• Architectures and topologies for nano-scale communication and networking
• Nano-scale network devices including repeaters, switches, and routers
• Algorithms and protocols applying nano-scale communication including coverage and connectivity, synchronization, relay, broadcast, multiple-access mechanisms, routing/addressing in nanonetworks, data aggregation, device localization, reliable information coding and communication, error control, and energy efficiency
• Application of biological techniques to design of nano-scale communication architectures, algorithms, and protocols: biological communication components, stigmergic communication techniques, and studies of biological systems (e.g., protein-to-protein interaction networks, metabolic networks, cell communication networks, human brain) in search of new theory, mechanisms, architecture, and algorithms that can advance nano-scale communication and networking
• Theoretical modelling and analysis of nano-scale communications through information theory, network theory, and graph theory
• Tools for design, modelling, analysis, and simulation of nano-scale communications
• Applications for nano-scale communications and networking including molecular-scale chemical and biosensors, nano-sensors and actuators network, in-body nanonetworks, heterogeneous bio-nano networks composed of molecular cells and nanomachines, biomedical and in-vivo imaging and sensing, nano-scale wireless networks.

Nano-scale communication techniques of interest include but are not limited to:

• Molecular communication: communication using diffusive processes, fluid flows, molecular motors, calcium signalling, bacterial carriers, sparse-molecule communication short/mid/long range molecular communications
• Future nanonetworks with new nano-machines and interconnects: Nanonetworks deployed with carbon-nanotubes (CNTs), nanowires, nanoparticles, graphene devices, nano-scale optical, single-nanotube radios, wireless, and electromechanical communication technologies, quantum entanglement with nano-scale photon detectors.
• Quantum communication networks: Hybrid classical quantum communication networks, repeaters, teleportation, quantum molecular entanglement, entanglement swapping, nano-scale photon detectors, quantum dot networks, quantum electron transport in nano-scale semiconductor structures, nano-mechanical quantum communication systems.

Track Co-Chairs:

• Tadashi Nakano, Osaka University, Japan
• Michael Moore, Osaka University, Japan

Program Committee Members:

• Andy Adamatzky, University of West of England, UK
• Ozgur B. Akan, Koc University, Turkey
• Albert Cabellos-Aparicio, Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain
• Sasitharan Balasubramaniam, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland
• Dmitri Botvich, Waterford Institue of Technology, Ireland
• Andrew Eckford, York University, Canada
• Jianwei Shaui, Xiamen University, China
• Satoshi Hiyama, NTT DOCOMO, Japan
• Henry Hess, Columbia University, USA
• Jian-Qin Liu, NICT Kobe Advanced ICT Research Center, Japan
• Mohammad Upal Mahfuz, University of Ottawa, Canada
• Thanos Vasilakos, University of Western Macedonia, Greece