The Internet of Things and Edge Computing research line advances the development of intelligent, distributed sensing systems for smart infrastructure and industry. The line integrates novel sensing technologies, embedded processing, and advanced communication architectures to enable real-time, reliable, and scalable monitoring of complex physical environments. 

The research emphasizes decentralized intelligence, where sensing, processing, and decision-making are partially shifted from centralized cloud infrastructures to edge devices. This paradigm supports low-latency operation, reduced bandwidth requirements, enhanced autonomy, and improved resilience in distributed systems operating in industrial and infrastructure contexts. 

Research Focus:  

• Advanced Sensing Technologies: developing novel point and distributed sensing solutions, with particular emphasis on optical fiber sensing techniques, distributed interrogation methods, fiber Bragg grating arrays, and specialty fibers. The research integrates advanced signal processing, machine learning, and computer vision techniques to enhance sensitivity, robustness, and environmental adaptability. 

• Edge Computing and Onboard Intelligence: designing embedded processing architectures that enable sensors to perform local computation using microcontrollers, ASICs, FPGAs, GPUs, and specialized hardware accelerators. The focus is on sensor-to-data strategies, reducing communication load by transmitting high-level information rather than raw data, and enabling autonomous operation in distributed environments. 

• Wireless and Optical Communication Modeling: analyzing and characterizing communication channels for IoT and high-capacity systems, including path loss, shadowing, multipath fading, scattering, nonlinear optical effects, and advanced modulation and multiplexing techniques. This research supports reliable, low-latency connectivity across heterogeneous sensing networks. 

Industrial and Technological Impact. The research line enables the deployment of resilient, scalable, and high-performance sensor networks for industrial monitoring, structural health assessment, smart cities, and energy infrastructure. By combining advanced sensing, edge intelligence, and robust communications, the line supports predictive maintenance, real-time infrastructure monitoring, and data-driven decision-making. 

Through distributed intelligence and high-speed connectivity, the line contributes to sustainable economic development by improving operational efficiency, reducing downtime, and enhancing safety across critical infrastructure and industrial systems.