The IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS) hosted and organized a webinar on April 20th, 2025 as part of the inaugural IEEE Week in Bangladesh, the first event of its kind in the country. The Vice Chair of AESS commenced the event by introducing Dr. Shekh Md Mahmudul Islam, a distinguished researcher and Senior Member of IEEE, currently serving as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, USA, and an Associate Professor (on leave) at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, before handing him the floor. Dr. Shekh’s pioneering work on radio frequency (RF) sensing and wearable technologies has the potential to transform healthcare monitoring both on Earth and in space, exemplifying how innovations developed for space can also benefit people on Earth.
Dr. Shekh opened the session by introducing RF sensing as a non-contact, non-invasive, wireless, and comfortable method for monitoring vital signs such as heart rate and respiration. He explained the foundational principle of Doppler radar technology, which detects minute physiological movements—like chest displacement during breathing—through phase changes in reflected signals. Using slides, he illustrated how continuous wave (CW) Doppler radar captures these shifts, enabling real-time vital sign tracking without physical sensors attached to the body.
A significant portion of the webinar focused on Dr. Shekh’s PhD research at the University of Hawaii, where he developed a secure radio-based identity verification system for sleep apnea studies. He described the challenge of isolating individual respiration patterns in multi-subject environments, such as a hospital room with a patient and a nurse, or a shared bed at home. To address this, he devised an SNR-based intelligent decision algorithm, integrating beamforming and beam-steering techniques to distinguish subjects even in close proximity. This work, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), resulted in publications in prestigious journals like IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques and IEEE Internet of Things Journal. Dr. Shekh emphasized the importance of preventing data falsification in in-home sleep apnea tests, introducing a cryptographic protocol (MASCOT) that leverages breathing patterns as digital biomarkers for identity authentication.
Beyond sleep apnea, Dr. Shekh showcased other RF sensing applications. He discussed a project on smart occupancy sensing, where radar-captured respiration patterns were used to count people in a room, achieving energy savings in HVAC systems. This work, patented in 2022, earned the Best Annual Paper Award from Building and Environment. Another application involved non-contact blood pressure estimation using pulse transit time measurements, conducted during his JSPS Fellowship at Kyushu University, Japan. He also touched on sleep posture recognition, utilizing effective radar cross-section (ERCS) changes to classify positions, enhancing sleep health monitoring.
The webinar took a futuristic turn as Dr. Shekh explored RF and wearable sensors for space health applications. Drawing from a NASA grant proposal under review, he explained how these technologies could enable self-monitoring for astronauts in isolated, confined environments (ICE) during long-duration space missions, such as those to Mars. Using wearable smartwatches, he is investigating digital biomarkers—derived from heart rate variability (HRV), skin temperature, and sleep quality—to predict stress levels and mental health changes. This dual-purpose technology, he noted, could bridge terrestrial healthcare and space exploration needs.
Dr. Shekh also shared insights from his work at the University of Dhaka, where he established a research lab and supervised students on projects like soil moisture estimation and OSA event classification using RF sensing. These efforts, published in journals like IEEE Sensors Journal and Frontiers in Cities, demonstrate the potential for advanced research in resource-limited settings.
The webinar drew in a diverse group of students who showed a high level of engagement throughout the session, though there were no professionals or students from biomedical engineering present. The interactive Q&A segment allowed participants to explore career pathways and clarify technical queries. Dr. Shekh’s clear, structured delivery and deep subject knowledge enabled attendees to grasp complex concepts with clarity and curiosity.
After that, everyone was asked to turn on their cameras for a photoshoot to mark the end of the event. The webinar successfully highlighted the transformative potential of RF sensing in healthcare, inspiring attendees to consider its applications in both clinical and space environments.