Project Details

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Smart Surface Prototype Development for 5G Infrastructure

Company: PSU Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM)

Major(s):
Primary: ESC
Secondary: EE
Optional: CMPEN, MATSE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: NO

Intellectual Property: NO

The 5G revolution will inspire entirely new applications in telecommunications, automotive, and health industries. Future building spaces and autonomous vehicles will depend on high-speed communication for real-time connectivity and navigation, which will be achieved through high data rate and low latency 5G systems. Earlier generations, such as 3G and 4G, operate at frequencies below 3 GHz with omnidirectional antennas covering large areas. Higher frequency mm-wave propagation at 30 GHz differs from previous generations because 5G signal paths are beam-like and attenuate over short distances. A fundamentally different design approach will be required for 5G involving smart antennas and new building architectures with reflective structures. In this project, prototype metal/dielectric structures will be applied to office and home environments to learn about the impact of materials and structures on 5G communications. The technical objective of the project will be to provide a new approach for understanding the roles of materials and structures on mm-wave scattering in complex and cluttered environments.