Summary:
Researchers in the Department of Computer Science have developed a novel relay system to increase the range of 5G and 6G wireless networks.
Background:
Advances in high-speed computing have created emerging technologies like telesurgery, robotic automation, and augmented reality that have wide-ranging applications in many fields. These applications require wireless network systems that can transfer massive amounts of data very quickly to be practical. While 5G communication networks have been used successfully in these applications, they will not be able to scale with the data transfer speeds required for ultra-high data networking. Millimeter wave (mmWave) technology can potentially provide this connectivity by operating over a large bandwidth in the high-frequency spectrum. However, mmWave technology operates over a narrow beam and is easily obstructed by objects like walls and people. There is an urgent need to develop new mmWave relay systems that can be deployed rapidly, support multiple users, and are power efficient.
Innovation:
Researchers led by Assistant Professor Omid Abari in the Department of Computer Science have developed mmXtend, a low-power, low-cost repeater system that can provide high data rate connectivity for mmWave applications. In a scenario where the line of sight between a base station and user is blocked, mmXtend steers the beam from the base station to its intended user. In addition to being mounted on the roof or walls of a building, mmXtend is lightweight enough to be mounted onto a drone system for outdoor applications. The system operates in the 26.5 GHz to 29.5 GHz range, enabling rapid data transfer. With a group of 200 users, the system can provide a 250 Mbps link to each user, and with 3600 users, it can provide up to 20 Mbps to each user, sufficient for augmented reality applications with 4K video.
Potential Applications:
• 5G data connectivity
• Virtual/augmented reality
• Telesurgery and remote robotic operation
• Network communication
Advantages:
• Low cost & low power
• Easy deployment and installation
• High data transfer with thousands of users
Development-To-Date:
The researchers have built and validated a prototype of the mmXtend in both indoor and outdoor data networking scenarios.
Reference:
UCLA Case No. 2024-188
Lead Inventor:
Assistant Professor Omid Abari