Summary of Research

My research interests involve 4 areas (click on each area for list of papers):
  1. SAT Algorithms & SAT Applications - Development of powerful Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) solvers & Using advanced SAT technologies to solve challenging Engineering problems.
  2. Cyber Security - IoT and CPS Security, mHealth Security, Phishing Attacks, Security Awareness, Wireless Security, RFID Security, Multi-Factor Authentication, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).
  3. Applied Engineering - The use of mobile applications in monitoring/detecting building fires, accidents, emotions, pollution, health, stocks, RFID/WiFi tracking and sensor networks.
  4. Engineering Education - Game-based learning using Alexa and IoT; Digitizing student services and experience in Academia; Multidisciplinary engineering education.

(1.A) SAT Algorithms

Combinatorial problems, e.g. decision and optimization problems, arise in various Engineering and Computer Science applications. In general, combinatorial problems are hard to solve and have a significantly large search space. Combinatorial algorithms work on effectively reducing the size of the search space and efficiently exploring the remaining space. Many combinatorial problems can be successfully modeled and solved using Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) technology.

My research work involve:

Detecting and analyzing structural properties in SAT instances and using the properties to speed up search

Speeding up SAT search by statically detecting and breaking symmetries in 0/1 Integer Linear Programming (ILP) problems, i.e. SAT problems consisting of CNF and Pseudo Boolean (PB) constraints. This is a pre-processing process, i.e. constraints are added to the instance before SAT search. This work released the tool “ShatterPB”.

  1. Symmetry-Breaking for Pseudo-Boolean Formulas
    F. Aloul, A. Ramani, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    ACM Journal of Experimental Algorithmics (JEA), vol. 12, article 1.3, June 2008.

Speeding up SAT search by statically detecting and breaking symmetries in CNF SAT problems. This is a pre-processing process, i.e. constraints are added to the instance before SAT search. This work released the tool “Shatter”.

  1. Symmetry in Boolean Satisfiability
    F. Aloul
    Symmetry, 2(2), 1121-1134, June 2010.

  2. Solving Difficult Instances of Boolean Satisfiability in the Presence of Symmetry
    F. Aloul, A. Ramani, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE Transactions on Computer Aided Design (TCAD), 22(9), 1117-1137, Sept. 2003.

Efficient construction of Symmetry-Breaking Predicates (SBPs) for SAT problems.

  1. Efficient Symmetry Breaking for Boolean Satisfiability
    F. Aloul, K. Sakallah, and I. Markov
    IEEE Transactions on Computers (TC), 55(5), 549-558, May 2006.

Using symmetry breaking to speed up local search solvers (i.e. incomplete solvers) in proving unsatisfiability of SAT instances.

  1. Symmetry Breaking in Local Search for Unsatisability
    F. Aloul, I. Lynce and S. Prestwich
    7th International Workshop on Symmetry and Constraint Satisfaction Problems (SymCon), Providence, RI, September 2007.

Speeding up SAT search by dynamically detecting and breaking symmetries. Constraints are added during the search process.

  1. Dynamic Symmetry-Breaking for Boolean Satisfiability
    F. Aloul, A. Ramani, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence (AMAI), Springer, 57(1), 59-73, 2010.

Using logic minimization to simplify symmetry-breaking predicates (SBPs) and speeding up the search process.

  1. Symmetry-Breaking for Boolean Satisfiability: The Mysteries of Logic Minimization
    F. Aloul, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    International Workshop on Symmetry on Constraint Satisfaction Problems (SymCon), Ithaca, New York, 37-46, 2002.

Speeding up SAT search and BDD construction by detecting sparsity in SAT instances. This is a static or pre-processing process, i.e. variables are re-ordered before SAT search or BDD construction. This work released the tools “MINCE” and “FORCE”.

  1. MINCE: A Static Global Variable-Ordering Heuristic for SAT Search and BDD Manipulation
    F. Aloul, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    Journal of Universal Computer Science (JUCS), 10(12), 1562-1596, Dec. 2004.

  2. FORCE: A Fast and Easy-To-Implement Variable-Ordering Heuristic
    F. Aloul, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI (GLSVLSI), Washington D.C., 116-119, 2003.

Relaxing SAT input format

Relaxing the input format of SAT solvers by allowing them to read CNF and linear inequalities constraints (also known as Pseudo-Boolean (PB) constraints or 0/1 ILP). This extends the application of SAT solvers to handle Boolean decision and optimization problems and allows for new applications to be tackled by SAT solvers. This work has lead to the release of a powerful award-winning 0-1 ILP solver “PBS”. PBS has been shown to compete with some of the best commercial 0-1 ILP solvers, e.g. CPLEX.

  1. Solution and Optimization of Systems of Pseudo-Boolean Constraints
    F. Aloul, A. Ramani, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE Transactions on Computers (TC), 56(10), 1415-1424, October 2007.

  2. Generic ILP versus Specialized 0-1 ILP: an Update
    F. Aloul, A. Ramani, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE International Conference on Computer Aided Design (ICCAD), San Jose, California, 450-457, 2002.

Search space estimation in SAT

Estimating the percentage of the search space actually explored by a backtrack SAT solver. This work released the tool “Satometer”.

  1. Satometer: How Much Have We Searched?
    F. Aloul, B. Sierawski, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE Transactions on Computer Aided Design (TCAD), 22(8), 995-1004, Aug. 2003.
    Nominated for Best Paper Award.

Implicit constraint representation using ZBDDs in SAT

We show how to implicitly represent satisfiability instances using ZBDDs, and perform search using an efficient implementation of unit propagation on the ZBDD structure.

  1. Search-Based SAT Using Zero-Suppressed BDDs
    F. Aloul, M. Mneimneh, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE Design, Automation, and Test in Europe Conference (DATE), Paris, France, 1082, 2002.

  2. ZBDD-Based Backtrack Search SAT Solver
    F. Aloul, M. Mneimneh, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE International Workshop on Logic Synthesis (IWLS), New Orleans, Louisiana, 131-136, 2002.

  3. Backtrack Search Using ZBDDs
    F. Aloul, M. Mneimneh, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE International Workshop on Logic Synthesis (IWLS), Lake Tahoe, California, 293-297, 2001.

Solving optimization problems with SAT

  1. Search Techniques for SAT-based Boolean Optimization
    F. Aloul
    Elsevier Journal of the Franklin Institute, Volume 343, Issues 5-6, 436-447, 2006.

Evaluation of conflict diagnosis and recursive learning in SAT

  1. An Experimental Study of Satisfiability Search Heuristics
    F. Aloul, J. Silva, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE Design, Automation, and Test in Europe Conference (DATE), Paris, France, 745, 2000.

  2. An Experimental Evaluation of Conflict Diagnosis and Recursive Learning in Boolean Satisfiability
    F. Aloul and K. Sakallah
    IEEE International Workshop on Logic Synthesis (IWLS), Dana Point, California, 117-122, 2000.


(1.B) SAT Applications

The significant advances in SAT solver technology over the last few years have lead to the successful deployment of SAT solvers in a wide range of applications. My research has contributed to the use of SAT solvers in solving challenging combinatorial problems arising in:

MANET Cluster Optimization

  1. Optimizing Complex Cluster Formation in MANETs using SAT/ILP Techniques
    S. Zahidi, F. Aloul, A. Sagahyroon and W. El-Hajj
    IEEE Sensors Journal, 13(6), 2400-2412, June 2013.
    Download associated Ztest tool.

Wireless Communications

  1. Multipath Detection Using Boolean Satisfiability Techniques
    F. Aloul and M. El Tarhuni
    Journal of Computer Networks and Communications (JCNC), vol. 2011, Article ID 365107, 2011.

  2. A Multipath Detection Scheme Using SAT
    M. Tarhuni and F. Aloul
    IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC), Cape Town, South Africa, 1-5, May 2010.

  3. PN Code Acquisition Using Boolean Satisfiability Techniques
    F. Aloul and M. Tarhuni
    IEEE Wireless Communications & Networking Conference (WCNC), Budapest, Hungary, 1-6, April 2009.

FPGA Routing

  1. A Comparative Study of Two Boolean Formulations of FPGA Detailed Routing Constraints
    G. Nam, F. Aloul, K. Sakallah, and R. Rutenbar
    IEEE Transactions on Computers (TC), 53(6), 688-696, June 2004.

Global Routing

  1. Solution and Optimization of Systems of Pseudo-Boolean Constraints
    F. Aloul, A. Ramani, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE Transactions on Computers (TC), 56(10), 1415-1424, October 2007.

  2. Generic ILP versus Specialized 0-1 ILP: an Update
    F. Aloul, A. Ramani, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    IEEE International Conference on Computer Aided Design (ICCAD), San Jose, California, 450-457, 2002.

Power Reduction

  1. Robust SAT-Based Search Algorithm for Leakage Power Reduction
    F. Aloul, S. Hassoun, K. Sakallah, and D. Blaauw
    Lecture Notes on Computer Science (LNCS), PATMOS 2002, vol. 2451, Springer, 167-177, 2002.
    ISBN 3-540-44143-3

Power Estimation & Test Vector Generation

  1. Using SAT-Based Techniques in Low Power State Assignment
    A. Sagahyroon, F. Aloul, and A. Sudnitson
    Journal of Circuits, Systems, and Computers (JCSC), World Scientific, 20(8), 1605-1618, December 2011.

  2. Using SAT-Based Techniques in Test Vectors Generation
    F. Aloul and A. Sagahyroon
    Journal of Advances in Information Technology (JAIT), Academy Publishers, 1(4), 153-162, November 2010.

  3. Using SAT-Based Techniques in Power Estimation
    A. Sagahyroon and F. Aloul
    Elsevier Microelectronics Journal (MEJ), vol. 38, issues 6-7, 706-715, June-July 2007.

Artificial Intelligence – Graph Coloring

  1. Breaking Instance-Independent Symmetries in Exact Graph Coloring
    A. Ramani, F. Aloul, I. Markov, and K. Sakallah
    Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research (JAIR), Volume 26, 289-322, August 2006.

Networking – Routing and Wavelength Assignments

  1. Routing in Optical and Non-Optical Networks using Boolean Satisfiability
    F. Aloul, B. Al-Rawi, and M. Aboelaze
    Journal of Communications (JCM), Academy Publishers, 2(4), 49-56, June 2007.

Scheduling – University Classroom Assignment & Employee Timetabling

  1. Solving the Employee Timetabling Problem Using Advanced SAT & ILP Techniques
    F. Aloul, S. Zahidi, A. Al-Farra, B. Al-Roh and B. Al-Rawi
    Journal of Computers (JCP), 8(4), 851-858, 2013.

  2. Solving the University Class Scheduling Problem Using Advanced ILP Techniques
    A. Wasfy and F. Aloul
    IEEE GCC Conference, Bahrain, November 2007.
    Won the Best Student Paper Award.

Fault Tolerance – Sensor selection and placement for failure diagnosis in wireless sensor networks.

  1. Sensor Deployment for Failure Diagnosis in Networked Aerial Robots: A Satisfiability-Based Approach
    F. Aloul and N. Kandasamy
    Lecture Notes on Computer Science (LNCS), SAT 2007, vol. 4501, Springer, 369-376, May 2007.
    ISBN: 978-3-540-72787-3.

  2. Sensor Selection and Placement for Failure Diagnosis in Wireless Sensor Networks: Application to Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Networks
    N. Kandasamy, F. Aloul, and J. Koo
    IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), Orlando, Florida, 2182-2187, May 2006.

PCI Bus Verification

  1. Efficient Verification of the PCI Local Bus Using Boolean Satisfiability
    F. Aloul and K. Sakallah
    International Workshop on Logic Synthesis (IWLS), Dana Point, California, 131-136, 2000.


(2) Cyber Security

Used Machine Learning to detect the chance of a botnet attack. The Bot-IoT and University of New South Wales (UNSW) datasets were used. Four machine learning models based on four classifiers were built. Using 82,000 records from UNSW-NB15 dataset, the decision trees model has yielded the best overall results with 99.89% testing accuracy, 100% precision, 100% recall, and 100% F-score in detecting botnet attacks.

  1. Botnet Attack Detection Using Machine Learning
    M. Alshamkhany, W. Alshamkhany, M. Mansour, M. Khan, S. Dhou, and F. Aloul
    14th IEEE International Conference on Innovations in Information Technology (IIT), UAE, November 2020.

Presents the latest in Internet of Things (IoT) security in terms of vulnerabilities, threats and counter measures.

  1. A Monitoring and Control Gateway for IoT Edge Devices in Smart Home
    F. Aloul, I. Zualkernan, S. Shapsough, and M. Towheed
    34th IEEE International Conference on Information Networking (ICOIN), Barcelona, Spain, January 2020.

  2. Securing Low-Resource Edge Devices for IoT Systems
    S. Shapsough, F. Aloul, and I. Zualkernan
    IEEE International Symposium on Sensing and Instrumentation in IoT Era (ISSI), Shanghai, China, September 2018.
    Won the Best Student Paper Award.

  3. Internet of Things (IoT) Security: Current Status, Challenges and Countermeasures
    T. Yousuf, R. Mahmoud, F. Aloul, and I. Zualkernan
    International Journal for Information Security Research (IJISR), 5(4), 608-616, December 2015.

Presents the latest in Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) security in terms of vulnerabilities, threats and counter measures.

  1. Cyber Physical Sensors System Security: Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Solutions
    A. Essa, T. Al-Shoura, A. Nabulsi, A. Al-Ali, and F. Aloul
    IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid and Smart Cities (ICSGSC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, August 2018.

Presents a simulation framework using OMNeT++ to generate benchmarks that resembles real-life traffic for port scanning testing.

  1. Real Traffic Logs Creation for Testing Intrusion Detection Systems
    W. El-Hajj, M. Al-Tamimi, and F. Aloul
    Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing (WCM), Wiley InterScience, 15(14), 1851-1864, October 2015.

  2. Framework for Creating Realistic Port Scanning Benchmarks
    M. Al-Tamimi, W. El-Hajj and F. Aloul
    9th IEEE International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing Conference (IWCMC), Cagliari-Sardinia, Italy, 1114-1119, July 2013.

Presents the latest in mobile health (mHealth) security in terms of vulnerabilities, threats and counter measures.

  1. Brokering Services for Integrating Health Cloud Platforms for Remote Patient Monitoring
    R. Aburukba, A. Sagahyroon, F. Aloul, and N. Thodika
    20th IEEE International Conference on E-Health Networking, Application and Services (HealthCom), Ostrava, Czech Republic, September 2018.

  2. The Internet of Things and e-Health Remote Patients Monitoring
    A. Sagahyroon, R. AbuRukba, and F. Aloul
    Internet of Things: Challenges, Advances, and Applications, Chapter 15, Chapman and Hall/CRC, January 2018.
    ISBN: 978149877851.

  3. Security of Mobile Health (mHealth) Systems
    F. Zubaydi, A. Saleh, F. Aloul, and A. Sagahyroon
    15th IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Bioengineering (BIBE), Belgrade, Serbia, November 2015.

Presents the latest in smart grid security in terms of vulnerabilities, challenges that exist in securing the smart grid network, how the current security solutions applied for IT networks are not sufficient to secure smart grid networks, and finally a descrition of the current and needed security solutions for the smart grid.

  1. Smart Grid Cyber Security: Challenges and Solutions
    S. Shapsough, F. Qatan, R. Aburukba, F. Aloul, and A. Al-Ali
    IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid and Clean Energy Technologies (ICSGCE), Offenburg, Germany, October 2015.

  2. Smart Grid Security: Threats, Vulnerabilities and Solutions
    F. Aloul, A. R. Al-Ali, R. Al-Dalky, M. Al-Mardini and W. El-Hajj
    International Journal of Smart Grid and Clean Energy (IJSGCE), 1-6, September 2012.

Presents the results of several security awareness studies that were conducted in UAE in 2010. The studies evaluated the awareness of residents to 1) Phishing attacks, 2) Wireless attacks, and 3) RFID attacks. The paper shows the need for effective security awareness programs and presents several key factors that are necessary to develop a successful information security awareness program.

  1. The Need for Effective Information Security Awareness
    F. Aloul
    Journal of Advances in Information Technology (JAIT), 3(3), 176-183, 2012.

Presents a survey of recent studies that aim to understand the relationship between victims’ backgrounds and phishing attacks.

  1. Cultural and Psychological Factors in Cyber-Security
    T. Halevi, N. Memon, J. Lewis, P. Kumaraguru, S. Arora, N. Dagar, F. Aloul, and J. Chen
    Journal of Mobile Multimedia (JMM), 13(1-2), 43-56, September 2017.

  2. Cultural and Psychological Factors in Cyber-Security
    T. Halevi, N. Memon, J. Lewis, P. Kumaraguru, S. Arora, N. Dagar, F. Aloul, and J. Chen
    18th ACM International Conference on Information Integration and Web-based Applications & Services (iiWAS), Singapore, November 2016.

  3. Towards Understanding Phishing Victims' Profile
    A. Darwish, A. El Zarka and F. Aloul
    IEEE International Conference on Computer Systems and Industrial Informatics (ICCSII), Dubai, UAE, 1-5, December 2012.

Presents a novel approach, based on fuzzy logic, to detect port scanning attacks using Snort. Experiments are carried out in both wired and wireless networks. The results show that applying fuzzy logic adds to the accuracy of determining bad traffic.

  1. Updating Snort with a Customized Controller to Thwart Port Scanning
    W. Hajj, H. Hajj, Z. Trabelso, and F. Aloul
    Security and Communication Networks (SCN), Wiley InterScience, 4(8), 807-814, August 2011.

Proposes a One Time Password (OTP) generation algorithm for mobile phones. An SMS-based algorithm for mobile phones is also proposed. Both algorithms are implemented and tested.

  1. Multi Factor Authentication Using Mobile Phones
    F. Aloul, S. Zahidi, and W. El-Hajj
    International Journal of Mathematics and Computer Science (IJMCS), 4(2), 65-80, 2009.

  2. Two Factor Authentication Using Mobile Phones
    F. Aloul, S. Zahidi, and W. El-Hajj
    IEEE International Conference on Computer Systems and Applications (AICCSA), Rabat, Morocco, 641-644, May 2009.

Evaluates the wireless security awareness in UAE. 3890 access points were identified, of which 46% were encrypted only.

  1. Wireless Security in UAE: A Survey Paper
    A. Kalbasi, O. Alomar, M. Hajipour, and F. Aloul
    IEEE GCC Conference, Bahrain, November 2007.

A mathematical system is proposed capable of exhibiting chaos with a chaotic attractor which is odd symmetrical in the x-y phase plane but even symmetrical in the x-z and y-z phase planes respectively. A hardware implementation of the system is done on adigital FPGA platform for verification. As an application, an FPGA design methodology using this oscillator for speech encryption is demonstrated. Due to the efficient hardware resource utilization, the encrypted system delivers a throughput of 1.3Gbit/sec using a Xilinx Kintex 7.

  1. FPGA Implementation of a Novel Chaotic Oscillator System With Odd and Even Symmetry
    M. Tolba, A. Elwakil, H. Orabi, M. Elnawawy, F. Aloul, A. Sagahyroon, and A. Radwan
    Integration, the VLSI Journal, Elsevier, 72, 163-170, May 2020.

Demonstrates theoretically and experimentally the possible 2D rotation of chaotic attractors applied to two different chaotic system prototypes. The rotation operation does not change the eigen values at the respective equilibrium points of thechaotic system, and hence it does not change the global dynamical behavior of the system. This is an attractive feature which can be exploited in chaos-based encryption applications. FPGA implementations of two rotated chaotic systems show reasonable use of resources, indicating that the technique is not hardware intensive.

  1. Two-Dimensional Rotation of Chaotic Attractors: Demonstrative Examples and FPGA Realization
    W. Sayed, A. Radwan, M. Elnawawy, H. Orabi, A. Sagahyroon, F. Aloul, A. Elwakil, H. Fahmy, and A. Elsedeek
    Circuits, Systems, and Signal Processing (CSSP), Springer, 38(10), 4890-4903, October 2019.

Evaluates the wireless security awareness in UAE. 3890 access points were identified, of which 46% were encrypted only.

  1. Wireless Security in UAE: A Survey Paper
    A. Kalbasi, O. Alomar, M. Hajipour, and F. Aloul
    IEEE GCC Conference, Bahrain, November 2007.


(3) Applied Engineering

Using Machine Learning to solve global problems

Presents a smart solution to predict the possibility of no shows in hospitals using machine learning. Public data sets containing records of hospital appointments were used. Data sets included patient details such as age, gender, insurance, schedule date, etc. and if they did show up or not. System can be extended to detect no shows in other applications such as hotels, airline, and restaurent reservations.

  1. Predicting Hospital No-Shows using Machine Learning
    T. Batool, M. Abuelnoor, O. El Boutari, F. Aloul, and A. Sagahyroon
    IEEE International Conference on Internet of Things and Intelligence System (IoTaIS), Bali, Indonesia, January 2021.
    Won the Best Paper Award.

Surveys related to Digital Twins and Internet of Things (IoT)

Presents an end-to-end digital twin conceptual model that represents its complementary physical object from the ground to the cloud. The paper presents the proposed digital twin model’s multi-layers, namely, physical, communication, virtual space, data analytic and visualization, and application as well as the overlapping security layer. The hardware and software technologies that are used in building such a model are explained in detail.

  1. Digital Twin Conceptual Model within the Context of Internet of Things
    A. Al-Ali, R. Gupta, T. Batool, T. Landolsi, F. Aloul, and A. Al Nabulsi
    Future Internet, MDPI, 12(10) 163, September 2020.

Intelligent real-time system that alerts uses to building fires and helps evacuate them safely

Presents a system that uses IoT technologies to track location of the fire and building occupants, and then directs the occupants smartly towards a safe exit. The system uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons for indoor localization using the occupant’s mobile phones. The system also tracks areas of danger using smoke and temperature sensors. For resiliency in face of a fire, the system uses multiple networks including WiFi and the DigiMesh. In case of a fire, occupants can use a smart mobile application that provides the occupants with a live map of the current danger levels within the building. In addition, smart exit signs are deployed throughout the building that dynamically change their state based on location of the fire to guide the occupants to safety. Real-time information gathered from sensors and occupants is also provided to emergency response services.

  1. An IoT-based Emergency Evacuation System
    I. Zualkernan, F. Aloul, V. Sakkia, H. Al Noman, S. Sowdagar, and O. Alhammadi
    IEEE International Conference on Internet of Things and Intelligence System (IoTaIS), Bali, Indonesia, November 2019.

Intelligent real-time detection of bad drivers in the surroundings using vehicle-to-vehicle mesh connection

Discusses a system based on a dynamic social internet of vehicles (SIoV) that allows a vehicle to report its own anomalous driving behavior to other vehicles in the vicinity, and at the same time receive warnings about bad driving behavior of surrounding drivers. The system relies on the DigiMesh ad-hoc wireless technology that allows vehicles to join and leave the network as required without any central coordination. The system doesn't rely on 5G or global networks. Dynamic time-warping (DTW) is used to classify drivers’ behavior data collected from the OBD-II interface of each vehicle.

  1. DigiMesh-based Social Internet of Vehicles (SIoV) for Driver Safety
    I. Zualkernan, F. Aloul, S. Al Qasimi, A. AlShamsi, M. Al Marashda, and A. Ahli
    IEEE International Symposium on Sensing and Instrumentation in IoT Era (ISSI), Shanghai, China, September 2018.

Fast Detection of Car Accidents Using Mobile Phones

Discusses the design and implementation of a mobile application that uses the smart phone's sensors, e.g. accelerometer and GPS, to detect an accident and instantly send the accident details (e.g. accident location, severity - G Level, user blood type, etc.) to the Police, Medical Units, and Relatives.

  1. Intelligent Accident Detection Classification using Mobile Phones
    I. Zualkernan, F. Aloul, F. Basheer, G. Khera, and S. Srinivasan
    32nd IEEE International Conference on Information Networking (ICOIN), Chiang Mai, Thailand, January 2018.

  2. iBump: Smartphone Application to Detect Car Accidents
    F. Aloul, I. Zualkernan, R. Abu-Salma, H. Al-Ali, M. Al-Merri
    Elsevier Journal of Computers and Electrical Engineering, 43, 66-75, April 2015.

  3. iBump: Smartphone Application to Detect Car Accidents
    F. Aloul, I. Zualkernan, R. Abu-Salma, H. Al-Ali, M. Al-Merri
    IEEE International Conference on Industrial Automation and Information & Communications Technology (IAICT), Bali, Indonesia, 52-56, August 2014.

Emotion Recognition Using Mobile Phones

Discusses the design and implementation of a mobile application that uses the smart phone's sensors, e.g. keyboard and accelerometer, to intelligently detect the emotions of users. The sensors will detect behaviors such as fast typing, spelling mistakes, and phone shaking which could identify a nervous user. The system provides emotive feedback to the users and helps them keep track of their own psychological health. The application enables the users to determine, for instance, sudden shifts in mood, or changes in mental health allowing them to seek help if needed. It can be heavily used in social networks, for example, to block users from accessing their services, or send them help if they were in a severely distressed state. Another application in social media can be immediate feedback and automatically flagging a post if the user is in a nervous state. Finally, through a web service, public users could also collect demographics about the emotional state of a populace.

  1. Emotion Recognition Using Mobile Phones
    I. Zualkernan, F. Aloul, S. Shapsough, A. Hesham, and Y. Elkhorazaty
    Elsevier Journal of Computers and Electrical Engineering (JCEE), 60, 1-13, May 2017.

  2. Emotion Recognition Using Mobile Phones
    S. Shapsough, A. Hesham, Y. Elkhorazaty, I. Zualkernan, and F. Aloul
    18th IEEE International Conference on E-Health Networking, Application and Services (HealthCom), Munich, Germany, September 2016.

Efficient Pollution Monitoring in Urban Cities

Proposes an efficient hardware device that records the pollutants levels (CO, NO2, and SO2), date, time and GPS location, then transmits the data wirelessly via GPRS to a public server. The hardware device is mobile and can be placed on any moving device such as a public transportation vehicle. The device will record and transmit the data as the vehicle is moving. On the receiving end, the public server keeps track of the pollutant levels and displays the real-time levels using Google Maps on a public website. The system can be very helpful for environment protection agencies, city officials, residents, and tourists.

  1. Mobile GPRS-Sensors Array for Air Pollution Monitoring
    A. Al-Ali, I. Zualkernan, and F. Aloul
    IEEE Sensors Journal, 10(10), 1666-1671, October 2010.

  2. PolluMap: A Pollution Mapper for Cities
    M. AbuJayyab, S. Al Ahdab, M. Taji, Z. Al Hamdani, and F. Aloul
    IEEE Innovations in Information Technology Conference (IIT), Dubai, UAE, 1-5, November 2006.
    Won the first place in the Gulf Research Center (GRC) Environmental Competition, 2006.

Assisting Autistic Children Using Mobile Phones

Proposes a system, built on a mobile application, to help in the treatment and monitoring of an autistic child by a caregiver.

  1. AutiAid: A Learning Mobile Application for Autistic Children
    R. Aburukba, F. Aloul, A. Mahmoud, K. Kamili, and S. Ajmal
    19th IEEE International Conference on E-Health Networking, Application and Services (HealthCom), Dalian, China, October 2017.

Efficient Diagnosis of Asthma Using Mobile Phones

Proposes a system for Asthma diagnosis using adaptive neuro-fuzzy techniques. The system takes key parameters as input including Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1), Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEF) and Forced Vital Capacity (FVC) and predicts Asthma severity condition. A mobile application that allows for easy interface between the patients and the analysis tool is also developed.

  1. Asthma Diagnosis Using Neuro-Fuzzy Techniques
    A. Ghosh, N. Rahman, N. Awadalla, A. Sagahyroon, F. Aloul, and S. Dhou
    IEEE International Conference on Engineering Innovations in Healthcare (EIH), Dubai, UAE, February 2020.

Efficient Diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease Using Mobile Phones

Discusses the design and implementation of a mobile application that implements various tests and a survey to diagnose if user has Parkinson's disease.

  1. ParkNosis: Diagnosing Parkinson's Disease Using Mobile Phones
    A. Sahyoun, K. Chehab, O. Al-Madani, F. Aloul, and A. Sagahyroon
    18th IEEE International Conference on E-Health Networking, Application and Services (HealthCom), Munich, Germany, September 2016.

Efficient Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Using Mobile Phones

Discusses the design and implementation of a mobile application that uses the smart phone's sensors, e.g. microphone and built-in proximity sensor, to record the breath volume and get a sense of whether or not the user is likely to suffer from COPD.

  1. Using Mobiles to Monitor Respiratory Diseases
    F. Zubaydi, A. Sagahyroon, F. Aloul, H. Mir, and B. Mahboub
    Informatics, MDPI, 7(4), 56, December 2020.

  2. MobSpiro: Mobile Based Spirometry for Detecting COPD
    F. Zubaydi, A. Sagahyroon, F. Aloul, and H. Mir
    7th IEEE Annual Computing and Communication Workshop and Conference (CCWC), Las Vegas, USA, January 2017.

  3. Diagnosing COPD Using Mobile Phones
    H. Hasan, B. Safieh, F. Aloul, and A. Sagahyroon
    14th IEEE International Conference on Electronics, Information and Communication (ICEIC), Singapore, January 2015.

Efficient Detection of Sleep Apnea Using Mobile Phones

Discusses the design and implementation of a mobile application that uses the smart phone's sensors, e.g. microphone and built-in accelerometer, to record the snoring, breathing and movement patterns of users and get a sense of whether or not the user is likely to suffer from sleep apnea before continuing with more expensive and advanced sleep tests.

  1. Classifying Obstructive Sleep Apnea Using Smartphones
    M. Al-Mardini, F. Aloul, A. Sagahyroon, and L. Al-Husseini
    Elsevier Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 52, 251–259, December 2014.

  2. On The Use of Smartphones for Detecting Obstructive Sleep Apnea
    M. Al-Mardini, F. Aloul, A. Sagahyroon, and L. Husseini
    13th IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Bioengineering (BIBE), Chania, Greece, 1-4, November 2013.

  3. Sleep Apnea Monitoring Using Mobile Phones
    S. Alqassim, M. Ganesh, S. Khoja, M. Zaidi, F. Aloul and A. Sagahyroon
    14th IEEE International Conference on E-Health Networking, Application and Services (HealthCom), Beijing, China, 443-446, October 2012.

Efficient Patient's Health Monitoring

Proposes an efficient mobile system consisting of temperature/heartbeat sensors that monitor the Patient's condition and wirelessly transmit the readings via ZigBee to the Nurse/Physician. The readings are also stored in the server's database. The server would send SMS alerts whenever the readings are life threatening.

  1. Detecting Heart Anomalies Using Mobile Phones and Machine Learning
    E. Talab, O. Mohamed, L. Begum, F. Aloul, and A. Sagahyroon
    IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Bioengineering (BIBE), Athens, Greece, October 2019.

  2. Monitoring Patients' Signs Wirelessly
    A. Sagahyroon, F. Aloul, A. Al-Ali, M. Bahrololoum, F. Makhsoos, and N. Hussein
    Journal of Medical Imaging and Health Informatics (JMIHI), 1(3), 252-255, September 2011.

Efficient Stock Monitoring using Mobile Phones

Proposes a user-friendly, cost-efficient, real-time mobile application that allows users to monitor selective stocks from multiple financial markets all on one page. The primary goal of the application is to download minimal information and reduce cost. SMS alerts are sent when stock prices reach user-specified limits.

  1. M-Stock: Efficient Stock Monitoring for Mobile Users
    F. Aloul, A. Sagahyroon, N. Salem, O. Al-Omar, S. Shehada, B. Al-Rawi
    Elsevier Journal of the Franklin Institute, 348(7), 1298-1311, September 2011.

Efficient Real-time Monitoring of Traffic using RFID

The proposed system monitors the traffic on highways and calculates the average speed of the passing cars. The user can then access real-time updates with exact numerical values of the highways’ average speed via a web portal or SMS. Therefore, users can plan the fastest routes for their trips, and reduce congestion by distributing traffic better over the highways. The solution uses two Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) readers on each monitored highway, and installs passive RFID tags on the passing cars.

  1. GuideME: An Effective RFID-Based Traffic Monitoring System
    F. Aloul, A. Sagahyroon, A. Nahle, M. Abou Dehn, R. Al Anani
    International Conference on Advances in Computer Science and Engineering (ACSE), Phuket, Thailand, March 2012.

Tracking Objects using RFID and WiFi

  1. Using Mobiles for On Campus Location Tracking
    F. Aloul, A. Sagahyroon, A. Al-Shami, I. Al-Midfa, and R. Moutassem
    7th ACM International Conference on Advances in Mobile Computing & Multimedia (MoMM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 2009.

  2. Mobile RFID Tracking System
    A. Al-Ali, F. Aloul, N. Aji, A. AlZarouni, and N. Fakhro
    IEEE International Conference on Information & Communication Technologies: From Theory to Applications (ICTTA), Damascus, Syria, 1-4, April 2008.

Sensor Networks

  1. A Call Admission Protocol for Cellular Multimedia Networks
    M. Aboelaze and F. Aloul
    6th World Wireless Congress (WWC), San Francisco, USA, 2005.

  2. Current and Future Trends in Sensor Networks: A Survey
    M. Aboelaze and F. Aloul
    IEEE International Conference on Wireless and Optical Communications Networks (WOCN), Dubai, UAE, 551-555, March 2005.

Microprocessor Verification

  1. Scalable Hybrid Verification of Complex Microprocessors
    M. Mneimneh, F. Aloul, C. Weaver, S. Chatterjee, K. Sakallah, and T. Austin
    Design Automation Conference (DAC), Las Vegas, Nevada, 41-46, 2001.

Distributed Systems

Software-based methods were developed for implementing predictable and low-cost failure diagnosis and recovery in distributed embedded systems, e.g. automotive systems.

  1. The Synthesis of Dependable Communication Networks for Automotive Systems
    N. Kandasamy and F. Aloul
    SAE Transactions Journal of Passenger Cars – Electronic and Electrical Systems, 2006-01-1333, V115-7, 667-674, March 2007.
    ISBN Number: 978-0-7680-1839-4

Ad hoc Networks

  1. Transmission Coordination for Ad hoc Networks
    A. Kiniy, S. Webery, F. Aloul, and N. Kandasamy
    44th Conference on Information Sciences and Systems (CISS), Princeton, New Jersey, 1-6, March 2010.


(4) Engineering Education

Describes how voice-enabled services like Alexa can be combined with the Internet of Things (IoT) to provide exciting game-based learning experiences for children where they learn as they play, and in doing so we have spawned a new area of research called Internet of Tangible Learning Things (IoTLT).

  1. Little Genius: An Experiment in Internet of Tangible Learning Things
    I. Zualkernan, F. Aloul, E. Algebail, A. Ali, M. El Refaay, and O. El Sabaa
    20th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT), Tartu, Estonia, July 2020.
    Won the Best Short Paper Award.

Describes the process of digitizing the student experience at a University. A mobile-friendly web-based toolset is developed in-house that automates services related to academic advising, course registration (planning for course sections, availability of courses and handling of waiting lists), exam scheduling (detecting conflicts), tracking attendance in courses, helping students find the proper internship program, and monitoring student progress in their study plans (admission for the second year).

  1. Improving Student Experience Using Automated Toolset of Academic Services
    H. Hallal, F. Aloul, S. Alawneh, P. Kolli, and A. Nabulsi
    6th ACM International Conference on Computer and Technology Applications (ICCTA), Antalya, Turkey, April 2020.

Describes improvements made to the "NGN110 - Introduction To Engineering & Computing" course at AUS, a freshman course offered to all engineering students. The course consists of lectures, labs, recitation sessions, and a competition. Students are introduced to the major responsibilities of engineers, presentation skills, documentation, teamwork, problem solving, design process, ethics, MS Office, and the basic concepts in each of the six engineering disciplines offered in the College. The course outcomes are evaluated by collecting and analyzing the student’s feedback over 2 years. The results are very encouraging and reflect a positive learning experience. Several challenging multidisciplinary project ideas are presented. The topics covered in the course and the relationship of each topic to the ABET criteria is discussed.

  1. A Case Study of a College-Wide First-Year Undergraduate Engineering Course
    F. Aloul, I. Zualkernan, G. Husseini, A. El-Hag, and Y. Al-Assaf
    European Journal of Engineering Education, 40(1), 32-51, January 2015.

  2. A Case Study of a College-Wide First Year Undergraduate Engineering Course
    F. Aloul, I. Zualkernan, A. El-Hag, G. Husseini, and Y. Al-Assaf
    IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), 179-184, Amman, Jordan, April 2011.

Describes improvements made to the "ENG207 - English for Engineers" course at AUS, which include the introduction of a design project to multidisciplinary engineering teams.

  1. Teambuilding, Innovation And The Engineering Communication Interface
    D. Prescott, T. El-Sakran, L. Albasha, F. Aloul, and Y. Al-Assaf
    American Journal of Engineering Education (AJEE), 3(1), 29-40, Spring 2012.

  2. Engineering Communication Interface: An Engineering Multidisciplinary Project
    D. Prescott, T. El-Sakran, L. Albasha, F. Aloul, and Y. Al-Assaf
    Journal of US-China Education Review, 1(7), 936-945, December 2011.


For more information, please contact Dr. Fadi Aloul (faloul@aus.edu).

Return to main page