A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT CSAIL) artificial intelligence laboratory has developed a "smart surface" called RFocus, which "can function as a mirror or lens" to focus radio signals on target devices.
Currently, there is a specific issue with providing a stable wireless connection for miniature devices, which have almost no space for antennas. The "smart surface" RFocus can resolve this, with its experimental variant increasing average signal strength by almost 10 times while simultaneously doubling channel bandwidth.
Instead of several monolithic antennas, the RFocus developers used over 3000 miniature antennas, complemented by appropriate software, achieving such a significant increase in signal strength. In other words, RFocus acts as a beam steering controller placed in front of the end user devices. The project authors believe that such an array will be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, as the cost of each miniature antenna is just a few cents. The RFocus prototype reportedly consumes less energy compared to traditional systems. This reduction in energy consumption was achieved by eliminating signal amplifiers from the system.
The project authors believe that the system they have created, produced in the form of "thin wallpapers," could find widespread applications, including in the Internet of Things (IoT) field and fifth-generation (5G) communication networks, enhancing signals transmitted to end-user devices. It is still unclear when the developers plan to bring their creation to the commercial market. Before that, they need to refine the design of the final product, making the system as efficient and appealing as possible to potential buyers.
Forrás: 3dnews.ru
