Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network Environment
6G millimeter-wave (mmWave) networks are expected to provide widespread multi-Gbit/s connectivity. However, increased sensitivity to obstacle blockage leads to underconnected shadow regions, motivating the introduction of intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) for efficient smart radio environments...
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IEEE
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society |
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| Online Access: | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11009221/ |
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| author | Simon Hager Marcel Kaudewitz Florian Schmickmann Stefan Bocker Christian Wietfeld |
| author_facet | Simon Hager Marcel Kaudewitz Florian Schmickmann Stefan Bocker Christian Wietfeld |
| author_sort | Simon Hager |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 6G millimeter-wave (mmWave) networks are expected to provide widespread multi-Gbit/s connectivity. However, increased sensitivity to obstacle blockage leads to underconnected shadow regions, motivating the introduction of intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) for efficient smart radio environments that are dynamically illuminated by anomalous reflections. Against this background, this article first presents a comprehensive analysis of the current state of IRS implementations and experimentation. We observe a scarcity of large-scale reconfigurable mmWave IRSs and insufficient experimental insights using communications equipment outside laboratory conditions. To address this gap, we develop R-HELIOS, a mechatronically reconfigurable IRS based on our geometry-based passive HELIOS IRS, which has previously been validated as a large static IRS in field studies with mmWave modems. It is complemented by a remote-control operation center that systematically orchestrates reflection behavior. The IRS research platform is then integrated into a private mmWave network environment utilizing commercial user equipments (UEs) for 6G-relevant experimentation. In an indoor factory-like scenario, we investigate an IRS beam search mechanism to improve connectivity for shadowed UEs in safety cages for machinery. Serving both UEs with a multi-armed reflection configuration maximizes the cell throughput to 2.1 Gbit/s, constituting an increase by 173 %. In a larger-scale indoor-to-outdoor setup covering an approximately 30 m2 shadowed study area, the IRS facilitates a mean downlink throughput improvement of 0.9 Gbit/s. Our study thus underscores the high potential of mmWave IRSs for static UEs. Additional measurements with a mobile user highlight the necessity for fine-grained angular beam tracking to mitigate fades at intermediate positions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bf314eed65084a7f9c8398847cd74d12 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2644-125X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IEEE |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society |
| spelling | doaj-art-bf314eed65084a7f9c8398847cd74d122025-08-25T23:19:04ZengIEEEIEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society2644-125X2025-01-0165005502910.1109/OJCOMS.2025.357272311009221Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network EnvironmentSimon Hager0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3834-6889Marcel Kaudewitz1https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2639-2627Florian Schmickmann2https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4659-3743Stefan Bocker3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1967-7794Christian Wietfeld4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7653-2589Communication Networks Institute, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, GermanyCommunication Networks Institute, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, GermanyCommunication Networks Institute, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, GermanyCommunication Networks Institute, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, GermanyCommunication Networks Institute, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany6G millimeter-wave (mmWave) networks are expected to provide widespread multi-Gbit/s connectivity. However, increased sensitivity to obstacle blockage leads to underconnected shadow regions, motivating the introduction of intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) for efficient smart radio environments that are dynamically illuminated by anomalous reflections. Against this background, this article first presents a comprehensive analysis of the current state of IRS implementations and experimentation. We observe a scarcity of large-scale reconfigurable mmWave IRSs and insufficient experimental insights using communications equipment outside laboratory conditions. To address this gap, we develop R-HELIOS, a mechatronically reconfigurable IRS based on our geometry-based passive HELIOS IRS, which has previously been validated as a large static IRS in field studies with mmWave modems. It is complemented by a remote-control operation center that systematically orchestrates reflection behavior. The IRS research platform is then integrated into a private mmWave network environment utilizing commercial user equipments (UEs) for 6G-relevant experimentation. In an indoor factory-like scenario, we investigate an IRS beam search mechanism to improve connectivity for shadowed UEs in safety cages for machinery. Serving both UEs with a multi-armed reflection configuration maximizes the cell throughput to 2.1 Gbit/s, constituting an increase by 173 %. In a larger-scale indoor-to-outdoor setup covering an approximately 30 m2 shadowed study area, the IRS facilitates a mean downlink throughput improvement of 0.9 Gbit/s. Our study thus underscores the high potential of mmWave IRSs for static UEs. Additional measurements with a mobile user highlight the necessity for fine-grained angular beam tracking to mitigate fades at intermediate positions.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11009221/IRSmechanical reconfigurationmmWave communications6G networksfield measurementsNLOS |
| spellingShingle | Simon Hager Marcel Kaudewitz Florian Schmickmann Stefan Bocker Christian Wietfeld Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network Environment IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society IRS mechanical reconfiguration mmWave communications 6G networks field measurements NLOS |
| title | Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network Environment |
| title_full | Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network Environment |
| title_fullStr | Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network Environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network Environment |
| title_short | Field Performance Evaluation of a Mechatronic Reflector System in a Private mmWave Network Environment |
| title_sort | field performance evaluation of a mechatronic reflector system in a private mmwave network environment |
| topic | IRS mechanical reconfiguration mmWave communications 6G networks field measurements NLOS |
| url | https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11009221/ |
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