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researcher

Dr Viktor Doychinov

Lecturer in Electronics and Software Eng

Faculty/Dept/School Faculty of Eng & Digital Technologies
Emailv.doychinov@bradford.ac.uk

Biography

I joined the University of Bradford in August 2022 as a Lecturer in Electronics and Software Engineering, a post affiliated with the Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI.

Before that I received a BEng in Telecommunications from the Technical University - Sofia, an MSc in Spacecraft Technology and Satellite Communications from University College London, and a PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Leeds. I then spent several years there working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Institute of Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and Sensing.

I have worked on a wide range of single- and multi- disciplinary projects, all of which have involved the use of RF and wireless technology in one form or another. Some of these projects were:

  • Cleanroom microfabrication of resonant-tunnelling diodes (RTDs) and MEMS structures
  • Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer at 5.8 GHz and 24 GHz
  • Additive manufacture of conformal antennas
  • Implantable antennas for exploratory neuroscience studies
  • Wireless communications for infrastructure robotics - Pipebots project
My wider skillset includes:

  • Linear and non-linear design and simulation of RF/microwave circuits, components, and systems using Keysight ADS and Ansys HFSS among others
  • Linear and non-linear RF measurements up to 100s of GHz, including S-parameter, modulated signal, and on-wafer probe measurements
  • Dielectric material characterisation including soft biological tissue and custom fixture design
  • Use of Software-Defined Radio for propagation measurements and wireless communication system prototyping up to 6 GHz
  • Embedded electronics for wireless sensor networks, using MCUs like nRF52840 and STM32WB55
  • Robotics-related hardware and software frameworks, such as BeagleBone and Raspberry Pi for embedded Linux, and ROS2, MAVLink, and ArduPilot for various robotics platforms
  • General, scientific, and embedded programming in C and Python, including various frameworks and packages such as Jupyter, scikit-rf, gprMax, and others
As part of my work in the Centre for Space AI I have expanded my use of mission design and simulation software such as STK and GMAT, and am looking forward to using them in exciting new projects.

I am also passionate about public engagement and outreach - I am an active STEM Ambassador with the Transpennine Hub, and was awarded an RAEng Ingenious grant in 2020/2021.

Research

My research interests are in the broad field of wireless communications and wireless electronics, particularly in the context of satellite communications. Particular projects and topics I am currently working on and interested in are:

  • Developing millimetre-wave transceiver hardware for nanosatellites
  • Investigating the feasibility of mesh networks at millimetre-wave frequencies for robotics and satellite applications
  • Use of COTS hardware for communication link impairments emulation
  • Simultaneous communication and sensing
Another area of interest for me is in the application of free and open source tools and frameworks in the hardware and software development of nanosatellites, such as PocketQubes and CubeSats. I am keen to use, contribute to, and author such tools as part of my activities in the Bradford-Renduchintala Centre for Space AI.

Finally, I am curious about similarities between system and component design principles for satellites and for other applications in resource-constrained environments, such as exploration robotics and implantable/wearable healthcare technology.

Teaching

Teaching interests

I contribute to teaching on the BEng/MEng Biomedical Engineering, BSc Clinical Technology, and MSc Satellite Systems Engineering programmes. In particular, I deliver lectures, tutorials, labs, and seminars on the following topics:

  • Embedded Electronics and Embedded Software
  • Digital Signal Processing
  • Satellite Communications
  • RF and Microwave Engineering
  • Space Mission Design

Year Module code Title Subject
ELE5016-BEmbedded Electronics
ELE7033-BSpace Dynamics and Systems Design

Professional activities

  • 01-JAN-15: University of Leeds - PhD in Electronic and Electrical Engineering
  • 01-JAN-11: University College London - MSc in Spacecraft Technology and Satellite Communications
  • 01-JAN-09: Technical University - Sofia - BEng in Telecommunication Engineering
  • 01-OCT-15: University of Leeds - Research Fellow
  • 01-AUG-18: Higher Education Academy, Associate Fellow
  • 01-JAN-19: University of Leeds Engagement Excellence Fellow
  • I have been been supporting Code Club and similar activities with Leeds City Libraries since 2015. In 2021/22 we collaborated on an RAEng Ingenious grant to deliver a project called Nature:Bots, teaching kids how we can use technology to look after our environment.
  • I have been an active STEM Ambassador since 2016, have supported numerous primary and secondary school activities, and have taken part in several Bradford Science Festivals.
  • I started supporting the Nuffield Research Programme as a supervisor in 2020. So far I have supervised five excellent A-level students, and I look forward to working with many more.

Publications

TitleSubstrate integrated Bragg waveguide: an octave-bandwidth single-mode hybrid transmission line for millimeter-wave applications (2020)
AuthorsBinbin Hong;Naixing Feng;Jing Chen;Guo Ping Wang;Viktor Doychinov;Roland Clarke;John Cunningham;Ian Robertson;Nutapong Somjit;
JournalOPTICS EXPRESS
DOI10.1364/OE.399160
 
TitleWireless Power Transfer System for Battery-Less Sensor Nodes (2020)
AuthorsBilal Tariq Malik;Viktor Doychinov;Ali Mohammad Hayajneh;Syed Ali Raza Zaidi;Ian D. Robertson;Nutapong Somjit;
JournalIeee Access
DOI10.1109/ACCESS.2020.2995783
 
TitleLight based synthesis of metallic nanoparticles on surface-modified 3D printed substrates for high performance electronic systems (2020)
AuthorsReza N. Esfahani;Matthew P. Shuttleworth;Viktor Doychinov;Nathan J. Wilkinson;Jack Hinton;Tom D.A. Jones;Assel Ryspayeva;Ian D. Robertson;Jose Marques-Hueso;Marc. P.Y. Desmulliez;Russell A. Harris;Robert W. Kay;
JournalAdditive Manufacturing
DOI10.1016/j.addma.2020.101367
 
TitleHigher-order mode substrate integrated waveguide cavity excitation for microstrip patch antenna arrays at 30-GHz (2019)
AuthorsBilal T Malik;Viktor Doychinov;Syed Ali R Zaidi;Nutapong Somjit;Ian D Robertson;Charles W Turner;
JournalJournal Of Physics Communications
DOI10.1088/2399-6528/ab0074
 
TitleAntenna Gain Enhancement by Using Low-Infill 3D-Printed Dielectric Lens Antennas (2019)
AuthorsBilal Tariq Malik;Viktor Doychinov;Syed Ali Raza Zaidi;Ian Robertson;Nutapong Somjit;
JournalIeee Access
DOI10.1109/ACCESS.2019.2931772
 
TitleLow-Cost Microfabrication for MEMS Switches and Varactors (2018)
AuthorsIsibor E. Obuh;Viktor Doychinov;David P. Steenson;Prayoot Akkaraekthalin;Ian D. Robertson;Nutapong Somjit;
JournalIEEE Transactions on Components, Packaging and Manufacturing Technology
DOI10.1109/TCPMT.2018.2834865
 
TitleNon-Invasive Millimeter-Wave Profiler for Surface Height Measurement of Photoresist Films (2018)
AuthorsNonchanutt Chudpooti;Viktor Doychinov;Prayoot Akkaraekthalin;Ian D. Robertson;Nutapong Somjit;
JournalIEEE Sensors Journal
DOI10.1109/JSEN.2018.2806185
 
TitleMulti-modal millimeter-wave sensors for plastic polymer material characterization (2018)
AuthorsN Chudpooti;V Doychinov;B Hong;P Akkaraekthalin;I Robertson;N Somjit;
JournalJournal of Physics D - Applied Physics
DOI10.1088/1361-6463/aac818
 
Title Author(s)
Radio Wave Propagation Inside Buried Sewer Pipes for Infrastructure Robotics (2022)Viktor Doychinov;Ian Robertson;
A Study of Wireless Communications Systems for Robotic Communications in Underground Pipes and Ducts (2021)Viktor Doychinov;Syed Ali Raza Zaidi;N Chudpooti;P Akkaraekthalin;Nutapong Somjit;Ian Robertson;K V Horoshenkov;J Wakeling;
A Novel 24-GHz Miniaturized Flexible Rectifier for Wireless Energy Harvesting (2021)Bilal Tariq Malik;Viktor Doychinov;Syed Ali Raza Zaidi;Nonchanutt Chudpooti;Nattapong Duangrit;Prayoot Akkaraekthalin;Nutapong Somjit;Ian Robertson;
Flexible Rectennas for Wireless Power Transfer to Wearable Sensors at 24 GHz (2020)Bilal Tariq Malik;Viktor Doychinov;Syed Ali Raza Zaidi;Ian Robertson;Nutapong Somjit;Robert Richardson;Nonchanutt Chudpooti;
Compact Broadband Electronically Controllable SIW Phase Shifter for 5G Phased Array Antennas (2018)B.T. Malik;V. Doychinov;I.D. Robertson;
Wireless Power Transfer for Gas Pipe Inspection Robots (2017)Viktor Doychinov;Bilal Y. Kaddouh;G Mills;Bilal Tariq Malik;Nutapong Somjit;Ian Robertson;
Low-cost method for waveguide device components fabrication at 220 – 325 GHz (2016)Viktor Doychinov;David Paul Steenson;Ali Malek Abadi;Claudio Paoloni;
Evaluation of a rapid manufacturing approach for rectangular waveguide filters up to 1.1 THz (2016)V. Doychinov;D.P. Steenson;C. Paoloni;
Investigation of mm-wave RTD based amplifiers (2016)V. Doychinov;D.P. Steenson;S. Muttlak;J. Sexton;M. Missous;
Parallelised gaussian mixture filtering for vehicular traffic flow estimation (2009)L Mihaylova;A Gning;Viktor Doychinov;R Boel;