Songran Liu

Songran Liu

Northeastern University, China

Welcome to my homepage! I am currently working at Key Laboratory of Intelligent Computing in Medical Image as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Northeastern University, China. I created this website to share the output of my studies and be reachable.

I graduated from College of Information Science and Engineering, Northeastern University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree and from the School of Computer Science and Engineering, Northeastern University with a doctor’s degree, advised by Professor Wang Yi (王义) and Nan Guan (关楠). Between 2020 and 2021, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Computing at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

My primary research interests lie within embedded systems, recently pivoting towards Autonomous Driving and Real-Time Robotic Operating Systems (ROS 2), as well as Batteryless Energy-Harvesting Systems. In collaboration with my research partners, we delve into operating systems and runtimes, intermittent computing, and trustworthy, real-time edge AI, with a specialized focus on autonomous driving.

🔥 Email me if you are interested in doing research with me. I have:

  • Open positions for master’s students
  • Thesis topics and internship projects tailored for undergraduate students.

🔥 News

  • 2025.09: I am actively looking for motivated undergraduate/master students.
  • 2025.09: [Project] Seeking motivated undergraduate students for the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program (China). Join our teams working on BetterMinton or ElectroDaemon. BetterMinton is an undergraduate innovation project that integrates motion sensors with 3D visualization to help badminton beginners correct their strokes and posture. By comparing users’ movements with expert trajectories, the system provides real-time interactive feedback and personalized training guidance. ElectroDaemon is a non-intrusive anomaly detection tool that continuously monitors microcontroller electromagnetic (EM) emissions to identify deviations from established execution flow patterns. By comparing real-time EM signal features against a learned “normal” fingerprint, it can promptly flag and alert on atypical behavior such as control-flow anomalies or unauthorized modifications.

📄 Selected Research Papers

Please check my GoogleScholar profile for a full list of publications.

🚘 Autonomous Driving and Real-Time Robotic Operating System (ROS)

  • RTeX: an Efficient and Timing-Predictable Multi-threaded Executor for ROS 2. Songrna Liu, Xu Jiang, Nan Guan, Zilong Wang, Minghe Yu and Yi Wang. IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, 2024, CCF-A

  • Optimizing End-to-End Latency of Sporadic Cause-Effect Chains Using Priority Inheritance. Yue Tang, Xu Jiang, Nan Guan, Songran Liu, Xiantong Luo and Yi Wang. IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium (RTSS), 2023, CCF-A

  • Modeling and Analysis of Inter-Process Communication Delay in ROS 2. Xiantong Luo, Xu Jiang, Nan Guan, Haochun Liang, Songran Liu and Wang Yi. IEEE Real-Time Systems Symposium (RTSS), 2023, CCF-A

🔋 Batteryless Energy-harvesting System

  • Light Flash Write for Efficient Firmware Update on Energy-harvesting IoT Devices. Songran Liu, Mingsong Lv, Wei Zhang, Nan Guan. Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE), 2023, CCF-B Best paper nomination!

  • Adaptive Task-based Intermittent Computing System with Parallel State Backup. Wei Zhang, Mingsong Lv, Songran Liu, Nan Guan. IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems (TCAD), 2022, CCF-A

  • Surviving Transient Power Failures with SRAM Data Retention. Songran Liu, Mingsong Lv, Wei Zhang, Nan Guan. Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE), 2021, CCF-B

  • Intermittent Computing with Efficient State Backup by Asynchronous DMA. Wei Zhang, Songran Liu, Mingsong Lv, Nan Guan. Design, Automation and Test in Europe (DATE), 2021, CCF-B

  • LATICS: A low-overhead adaptive task-based intermittent computing system. Songran Liu, Mingsong Lv, Wei Zhang, Nan Guan. IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems (TCAD), 2021, CCF-A

📱 Trustworthy and Real-time Edge AI

  • Control Flow Divergence Optimization by Exploiting Tensor Cores. Weiguang Pang, Xu Jiang, Songran Liu, Lei Qiao, kexue fu, longxiang Gao and Wang Yi. DAC, 2024, CCF-A

  • MiniTEE—A Lightweight TrustZone-Assisted TEE for Real-Time Systems. Songran Liu, Nan Guan, Zhishan Guo, Wang Yi. Electronics, 2020

  • Leaking your engine speed by spectrum analysis of real-Time scheduling sequences. Songran Liu, Nan Guan, Dong Ji, Weichen Liu, Xue Liu, Wang Yi. Journal of Systems Architecture, 2019, CCF-B

  • Task parameters analysis in schedule-based timing side-channel attack. Songran Liu, Wang Yi. IEEE Access 2020

🍻 Honors and Awards

  • Best paper nomination award, Light Flash Write for Efficient Firmware Update on Energy-harvesting IoT Devices, DATE23’.

🧐 Journal Reviewer and PC member (selected)

  • ACM Transactions on Embedded Computing Systems, Transactions on Cyber-Physical Systems, Journal of Systems Architecture, Journal of Circuits, Systems, and Computers 

🧑‍🎨 Students

Ph.D.:

  • Zilong Wang (2024-): Email

Masters:

  • Zilong Wang (2021-2024):-> NEU Ph.D. Email
  • Bohan Sun (2022-2025):-> Mianyang City Tobacco Monopoly Administration (China)
  • Jingbo Chen (2023-):
  • Bochao Cao (2023-):
  • Yingchun Yang (2023-):
  • Jiafu Xu (2024-):
  • Renjie Guo (2024-):
  • Wenhui Liu (2025-):
  • Zikang Liang (2025-):

Undergraduate students:

  • Menglun Liu (2023-):
  • Chenrui Li (2021-2025):-> UNC at Chapel Hill Master