Keeping a step ahead with broadband wireless multimedia communications research

Dr Shruti Lall, who graduated from the University of Pretoria (UP)’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology with a master’s degree in Computer Engineering in 2015, was able to apply her home-grown knowledge in the USA when she completed her PhD on a Fullbright Scholarship at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. She is currently doing a postdoctoral fellowship in the Broadband Wireless Multimedia Communications (BWMC) Research Group in UP’s Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering.

Even at school, Dr Lall had been attracted to computer programming due to her love of mathematics and science, despite it being a male-dominated field at the time. She was fascinated by the modules that formed part of the University’s academic programme, as they aligned with her interests. She was awarded a Sentech bursary for her undergraduate studies, which exposed her to the field of wireless communication and networking.

Her undergraduate studies were followed by honours and master’s research in the same field. Her research, under Prof Sunil Maharaj, then Chairholder of the Sentech Chair and UP’s current Vice-Principal: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Education, met an industry need to develop a fast network infrastructure. She was fortunate to be accepted to complete her doctoral studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology, which enabled her to keep a step ahead with research being conducted internationally in broadband wireless multimedia communications.

Her research focused on anticipatory networking, mobile edge computing, machine learning, data mining and multimedia systems. “During my PhD, I worked on predicting and preparing for future video consumption by users. I also developed strategies to store content closer to users in anticipation of their needs.” This work explored how to successfully implement content storage at the extreme edge of the network, where everyday devices like mobile phones, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and even connected vehicles act as computing platforms. She explains that while this setup offers exciting possibilities, it also comes with challenges like limited resources on these small devices, and the sheer number of these devices in use. “Overcoming these issues is crucial to achieving faster, more efficient networks.”

Looking back at her time in the USA, she believes that it exposed her to a wider scope and research opportunities that she could apply to her work, and could enrich her knowledge in the field. She found her time at Georgia Tech to be both challenging and transformative as it gave her insight into cutting-edge technology and international projects, which she could plough back into technology development in her home country.

Dr Lall chose to return to South Africa to pursue her postdoctoral work at UP where she is building on her PhD research to explore new strategies for next-generation networks like 6G, and has the opportunity to collaborate with experts in the field. “I am particularly interested in moving from a reactive approach, where networks respond after the fact, to an anticipatory one, where networks can predict needs and adapt in advance.” This proactive approach will help develop more collaborative systems, better integrate cloud and edge technologies, and ensure that networks can keep up with the growing demands of an increasingly connected world.

Reflecting on her work in the field of computer engineering, she says that although there is an underrepresentation of women in the field, she always felt accepted, and was never faced with particular instances of discrimination. However, she does admit that, as a woman in a male-dominated field, she did find it intimidating initially to be the only female member in a meeting and consultation, and had to overcome personal feelings of self-doubt and the pressure to conform. Her advice to women experiencing similar feelings is: “You are not alone!”

She considers working in the BWMC Research Group under someone as auspicious and knowledgeable in the field as Prof Maharaj to be a particular honour. The University’s Sentech laboratories provide a world-class research environment with its state-of-the-art research facilities. Collaboration takes place with industry and internationally renowned researchers in the field of wireless broadband multimedia communications for the benefit of Sentech, UP and South Africa in general.

Dr Lall believes that the Chair has enabled her to collaborate on real-world problems, and has exposed her to future career opportunities in the interface between academia and industry.