Compressive and Sparse Array Processing

Array processing has been a key area in the signal processing community for many decades. Generally, regular arrays have been considered but more recently there has been a growing interest in compressive and sparse arrays, fuelled by the trend to move to higher frequencies and higher apertures. Compressive and sparse arrays can reduce the hardware cost and power consumption and are hence attractive for applications such as massive multi-input multi-output communications, automotive radar, and acoustic imaging. In this talk, we establish the basic model for compressive and sparse array processing and discuss how to perform digital beamforming and direction of arrival (DoA) estimation for such arrays. Modern techniques are discussed that go beyond classical subspace-based methods, leveraging optimization theory and sparse signal processing. Furthermore, not only the standard signal-based processing is considered but also more advanced covariance-based techniques, allowing for an increased number of degrees of freedom. Throughout the talk we also discuss compressive and sparse array design, mainly aiming at maximizing identifiability. Yet in the last part of the talk we delve into performance-based sparse array design, which fits into the field of sparse sensing. Here both convex and submodular optimization methods will be presented to design optimal sparse arrays for DoA estimation.

Speaker Biography:
Geert Leus received the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the KU Leuven, Belgium, in June 1996 and May 2000, respectively. Geert Leus is now a Full Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science of the Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. His research interests are in the broad area of signal processing, with a specific focus on wireless communications, array processing, sensor networks, and graph signal processing. Geert Leus received the 2021 EURASIP Individual Technical Achievement Award, a 2005 IEEE Signal Processing Society Best Paper Award, and a 2002 IEEE Signal Processing Society Young Author Best Paper Award. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and a Fellow of EURASIP. Geert Leus was a Member-at-Large of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Signal Processing Society, the Chair of the IEEE Signal Processing for Communications and Networking Technical Committee, the Chair of the EURASIP Technical Area Committee on Signal Processing for Multisensor Systems, a Member of the IEEE Sensor Array and Multichannel Technical Committee, a Member of the IEEE Big Data Special Interest Group, a Member of the EURASIP Signal Processing for Communications and Networking Special Area Team, the Editor in Chief of the EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing, and the Editor in Chief of EURASIP Signal Processing. He was also on the Editorial Boards of the IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, the IEEE Signal Processing Letters, and the EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing. Currently, he is a Member of the IEEE Signal Processing Theory and Methods Technical Committee and an Associate Editor of Foundations and Trends in Signal Processing.