Graduate Program in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Graduate activities at UTFPR began in 1987 with the creation of the specialization course in Industrial Informatics. In 1987, with the implementation of the specialization course (graduation studies) in Industrial Informatics, the first graduate activities began at the then Federal Center of Technological Education of Paraná (CEFET-PR).
In 1988, the Graduate Coordination in Industrial Informatics (CPGII) was implemented, the first graduate program of the then CEFET-PR and Paraná state in the area. CPGII was recommended by GTC/CAPES. In the first biennial evaluation (88/89) it received the indication (SC) and in the second it progressed to concept (C).
In 1990, the Teaching Group of the Hospital Engineering Nucleus became part of the CPGII. With the expansion of the teaching staff, there was a restructuring of CPGII, renamed the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering and Industrial Informatics, with the acronym CPGEI.
In the third evaluation of CAPES it received concept (C +). After a restructuring proposal, the CPGEI was predominantly evaluated in the Engineering IV area and, in the 1996 evaluation, the Master Course received concept (A). It was the first program of the area to receive the maximum concept without offering a doctorate, having the same concept in the following evaluation (1998).
In 1999, after 11 years working at the masters level, CAPES approved the proposal of the doctorate course at CPGEI. In the triennial evaluations carried out by CAPES, from 2000-2003 and 2004-2006, it received concept 4. In the 2007/2009 evaluation, it progressed to concept 5, which remained in the following evaluations.
In 2010-2011 there was a major curriculum reform, which reorganized the then three concentration areas (Telematics, Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Informatics) into five: Telecommunications and Networking, Biomedical Engineering, Automation and Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering and Photonics Engineering.
In 2018, the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering and Industrial Informatics (CPGEI) completed 30 years of experience in master training and 19 years in doctoral training. It is currently the only graduate program in Engineering Engineering IV with concept 5 in the state of Paraná.
The faculty consists of 48 dedicated and highly qualified professors, 27 of whom are holders of CNPq productivity scholarships, with nationally and internationally recognized merit through publications, cooperations and awards. CPGEI professors have a great ability to raise external resources for research from public and private agencies. Total funds raised through projects in force in the 2014-2018 quadrennium was R$ 31,512,967.10.
General Objectives
- Train qualified human resources for the generation of new scientific knowledge and its technological applications within the concentration areas covered;
- Define, propose, coordinate and execute research and/or development projects within the concentration areas covered, at local, national and/or international level;
- Generate critical mass, mentality and environment conducive to the improvement of UTFPR's faculty and other related institutions in the program's area of influence, and contribute to the improvement of the knowledge applied by UTFPR in its courses and projects;
- Interact with the productive sector in the expansion and qualification of the industrial park involved in the knowledge and practice areas of the course.
Specific Objectives
- The generation of innovative scientific knowledge and/or the development of new technologies in the scope of its areas of expertise;
- The formation of highly qualified human resources that can autonomously perform both the research and development activities listed above, as well as being responsible for training human resources that also have such characteristics.
Since its inception, the CPGEI Board has sought to promote multi and interdisciplinarity between both areas of concentration and cooperation with the other Departments and Research Groups of UTFPR and universities located in Curitiba, notably UFPR and PUC-PR. In this sense, the participation of researchers from other graduate programs has been remarkable (see item Institutional Exchanges of the Program Proposal). Researchers from other institutions have also occasionally participated as co-supervisors of theses and dissertations. Noteworthy are the double degree activities at the masters and doctorate levels with European universities.
Concentration Area in Biomedical Engineering
Application of engineering techniques and applied sciences (physics, mathematics and biology, etc.) and the solution of dental-medical-hospital problems, such as the development of prototypes for the purposes of therapy, diagnosis, maintenance of dental-medical-hospital equipment and facilities.
Research Line - Hospital Engineering
Development of works that seek solutions to typical engineering problems found in medical-hospital environments, such as maintenance routines, adequacy of equipment and facilities, user training, among others.
Research Line - Computer applied to Biomedicine
Study and development of concepts and technologies of health care informatics such as hospital information systems, telemedicine, intelligent systems for decision support and clinical diagnosis, etc.
Research Line - Biomedical application sensors and instruments
Study and development of sensors and instruments with application in the areas of medicine, dentistry, biophysics and life sciences in general, at the sensor unit, control unit (electronics) and resident software (firmware) level.
Research Line - Ionizing Radiations
Development of techniques that use ionizing radiation for the purposes of medical treatment, diagnosis, radiological protection, maintenance routines, adequacy of equipment and facilities, user training, etc.
Concentration Area in Automation and Systems
The goal of the Automation and Systems Engineering concentration area is to research and develop automation and control theories, algorithms and technologies in their broadest sense, encompassing engineering, physical, biological, economic and management systems, among others. Automation and systems engineering consider the systems around us to be relatively complex and made up of a different number of components, including mechanical, electronic components, hardware, and software for computers and other devices. Therefore, the area is concerned with the mathematical modeling, design and analysis of these systems, focusing particularly on how the different components interact with each other and work together, ensuring efficient system performance. The area has an integrated view of the entire automation chain, ranging from the shop floor to integrated industry planning and management.
Research Line - System Optimization
It addresses the development of mathematical and computational models and methods
to support decision-making on the planning, scheduling and operation of large systems.
Research Line - Control and Automation Systems
Research on control and automation systems is carried out considering a hierarchical control structure composed of four layers: regulatory control, supervisory control, multivariable control (advanced) and optimization. For each of these layers, appropriate theories, algorithms, and technologies are developed to ensure improvements in operation and production, reduced energy consumption, improved process safety and reduced environmental emissions, as well as industry economic gains.
Research Line - Power Systems
This line of research addresses power generation, conversion, control, processing and quality aspects. The research involves the development of high performance static converters for various applications, solutions for using isolated and grid-connected renewable energy sources, distributed power generation and smart grid technology. Aspects related to the modeling, development and application of control techniques used in energy processing are also addressed in this line of research.
Research Line - Measurement and Instrumentation Systems
This line of research is concerned with the development of measuring instruments that are used in industrial automation systems. This includes research related to sensors, analyzers, signal and image processing, filtering, fault detection, virtual sensors, hardware interface, etc. The influence of measurement systems on the monitoring, control and supervision of industrial processes is also investigated aiming at improvements in productivity, safety, precision, reliabililty, optimization and stability of such systems.
Research Line in Electronic Systems, Microelectronics and Components
This line of research aims to develop and implement solutions for problems where hardware alternatives are desired, including both analog and digital circuits.
Concentration Area in Computer Engineering
The area of concentration in Computer Engineering (EC) of the Graduate Program in Electrical Engineering and Industrial Informatics (CPGEI) aims to produce scientific knowledge through research projects and the training of undergraduate students, masters and doctors. Traditionally, Computer Engineering is viewed as a combination of Computer Science and Electrical/Electronic Engineering. Thus, this area of focus encompasses the science and technology of designing, implementing and maintaining software and hardware components of computer controlled equipment and systems. Master's and PhD students are trained through a set of disciplines involving aspects of both Engineering and Computing.
Research Line in Bioinformatics
This line of research aims to develop methods and algorithms for processing biological data, such as DNA and protein sequences, as well as the required high performance computational infrastructure (parallel network proc, GPGPU and FPGA).
Research Line in Computer Systems Engineering
Model-based SW development, knowledge acquisition for conceptual model construction, model semantics and their applications, and the proposition and evolution of a notification-based paradigm for discrete event systems
Intelligent Systems Research Line
Computational systems whose global behavior results from the behavior and interaction of smaller entities with different levels of autonomy, proactivity, problem information, learning, and adaptation of environments.
Computer Vision Research Line
The main objective of the line is the search for new methodologies and techniques based on image processing and computer vision to solve existing problems in different application segments.
Concentration Area in Photonics in Engineering
Photonics comprises the branches of science in which photons interact with matter. The term was coined from the generalization of that so-called 'optoelectronics' - which dealt specifically with electronic grade materials (semiconductors) presenting interaction with the electromagnetic field at optical frequencies. The generalization of the nomenclature became necessary with the discovery of active elements in the dielectric materials category and gained strength with the greater presence of these materials in some engineering areas, of which electronics and telecommunications are of prime importance. Over the past few years, a growing trend has been observed in the use of light-matter interaction devices in the optical communication system components, driving the great development of the area. Even though optical fiber, being passive, was not initially categorized into the optoelectronic category, the spread of WDM (wavelength multiplexed) systems has led to a growing penalty due to nonlinear effects, made significant by longer links, a bigger launch power (because of the large number of channels) and intensive use of optical amplifiers. Even the low nonlinear coefficients of silica glass used in fibers produce considerable effects when those three factors are taken into account. Thus, it was necessary to broaden the old definition to include new classes of materials and the term that became common was that of Photonics.
Optical Communications Research Line
One particular line of research is the study, development and performance analysis of photonic component-based systems and subsystems for advanced optical communications, including multi-gigabit /s systems, passive optical networks, CWDM systems, transparent optical networks, routing and optical multiplexing. This line historically stems from the great importance that optical communications has placed on the communications industry, including the paradigm shift brought about by the spread of network services worldwide as technology meets high traffic demand. Photonic devices connected to the other two lines of research today are essential members of optical communication systems from propagation medium to signal generation and detection, channel multiplexing at different wavelengths for transmission over the same optical fiber and even in the amplification of the optical fiber signal by Erbio-doped fibers or by Raman scattering along the transmission fiber. The control of optical signals throughout the transmission system gives rise to another group of devices of interest that use effects based on the control of some parameters of Bragg optical fiber networks. This type of work can be done with both conventional fibers and the new class of microstructured fibers. This fact links this line of research to the previous two directly.
Photonic Structures and Devices Research Line
This line of research aims at the study, proposition, development and characterization of photonic structures and devices for use in Engineering, particularly in the area of Electrical Engineering. Their importance is noteworthy given that the most complex systems are based primarily on isolated devices (even when the production technique integrates them into high density elements) and their fundamental properties. This area is even more important today, where devices in general were discovered more than two decades ago (most of them in photonic devices) due to the continued greater focus on the systemic area, which has been occurring since the late 1980s of the last century in all engineering and even some basic sciences. The projects in this line of research focus on photonic structures and devices in applications that today have a huge impact on various technologies and their industry, such as telecommunications, biomedicine and instrumentation for industrial automation and control.
Photonics Materials and Process Research Line
This line of research ranges from the study of basic properties to the development of products and processes in the large families of materials used today in the most common devices in the photonic applications landscape. There is no denying the advances made in the various current technologies with the widespread use of devices based either on dielectric materials (optical fibers, waveguides, electro-optic and acousto-optic modulators, wavelength division multiplexers, ... ), in optoelectronic semiconductor materials (LED, LASERS, photodetectors, CCDs, waveguides, amplifiers and modular semiconductors ...), in ordered chemical materials (LCD) or even specific materials, known as “optrodes” - products whose optical properties depend on interaction with a chemical, biological or molecular agent. One strand of this line of research is to study dielectric materials for the development of photonic devices based on them, such as optical waveguides, optical fibers and optical structures induced by their processes, as well as - in connection with projects in the research line - their application in sensors, instruments and communication. The other aspect, which is smaller at the moment, is the study and development of devices based on optoelectronic semiconductor devices, certainly the technology with greater penetration in the current market of instruments, equipment and products of the consumer market. Also, in this case there is connection with projects in the other concentration area due to the creation of optoelectronic structures and devices or the intended applications.
This line of research is also characterized by the greater proximity of basic sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Materials) to those with greater applied nature (Electrical, Biomedical, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Civil ...), having transdisciplinarity as a necessary condition for understanding the properties of materials, their constituent processes and their applications.
Area of concentration in Telecommunications and Networks
Consisting of professors with extensive experience, the area of Telecommunications and Networks manifests itself as an extension of the activities performed by its members in undergraduate courses in Electronic Engineering and Computer Engineering at UTFPR. Its lines of research encompass important topics being developed by research groups around the world. Supported by important companies located in the Curitiba metropolitan region (Nokia-Siemens, Copel Telecom, GVT, TIM, OI, Furukawa, Datacom), the demand for qualified professionals is met by the solid and continuous training of human resources from this concentration area.
Research Line in Communication and Data Processing
Design and analysis of digital communications systems, with an emphasis on error correcting codes, wireless communications and signal processing for communications. Image processing for protection (e.g. by digital watermark), transmission and storage. The objective is also to develop and implement metrics for digital video quality analysis using algorithms based on systems with reference, reduced reference or without reference.
Research Line in Distributed Networks and Systems
Study and development of analytical and simulation models for analysis and design of network elements (e.g. routers, schedulers, etc.), and protocols (e.g. OSPF, TCP, etc.). It is mainly considered the TCP/IP architecture seeking to consider the effect of protocols on the various layers of the protocol stack, as well as make use of techniques capable of accurately modeling the behavior of traffic in current networks. Study and development of elements, protocols and systems of Advanced Telecommunications Networks. Various branches of communication networks are considered, for example, real-time communication systems, in particular related to digital audio and video communication services; ad hoc wireless networks, mesh, DTNs, sensors, and new generations of wireless networks; vehicular mobile networks, among others. The project proposes and analyzes transport, routing and media access protocols, involving the study of multiple QoS metrics, cross-layer proposals, use of collective intelligence techniques, network coding, stochastic processes, operational research, and other tools. Analytical and simulation models are also developed for performance analysis and traffic characterization.