RadioWeaves for efficient connectivity: analysis and impact of constraints in actual deployments

Abstract

We present a new type of wireless access infrastructure consisting of a fabric of dispersed electronic circuits and antennas that collectively function as a massive, distributed antenna array. We have chosen to name this new wireless infrastructure "RadioWeaves" and anticipate they can be integrated into indoor and outdoor walls, furniture, and other objects, rendering them a natural part of the environment. Technologically, RadioWeaves will deploy distributed arrays to create both favorable propagation and antenna array interaction. The technology leverages on the ideas of large-scale intelligent surfaces and cell-free wireless access. Offering close to the service connectivity and computing, new grades in energy efficiency, reliability, and low latency can be reached. The new concept moreover can be scaled up easily to offer a very high capacity in specific areas demanding so. In this paper we anticipate how two different demanding use cases can be served well by a dedicated RadioWeaves deployment: a crowd scenario and a highly reflective factory environment. A practical approach towards a RadioWeaves prototype, integrating dispersed electronics invisibly in a room environment, is introduced. We outline the many and diverse R&D challenges that need to be addressed to realize the great potential of the RadioWeaves technology. Index Terms-RadioWaves, energy efficient and ultra reliable connectivity, large-scale antenna arrays, cell-free wireless access. L. Van der Perre and L. De Strycker are with the Department of Electrical Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium; L. Van der Perre, F. Tufvesson, and O. Edfors are with the

Array Placement in Distributed Massive MIMO for Power Saving considering Radiation Pattern

“…However, for practical scenarios, e.g., Manhattan-style street grid, it is typically not feasible to place the APs circularly or arbitrarily as considered in the literature. In those scenarios, for the sake of aesthetics and deployment simplicity, APs can be deployed along walls in the streets and be less visible [17]. Placing APs on walls also ensures that the APs are less impacted by bad weather, for example, rain or wind.…”

Distributed Massive MIMO : Random Access, Extreme Multiplexing and Synchronization

“…RadioWeaves technology is a new wireless access infrastructure proposed in [92], in which a fabric of distributed electronic circuits consisting of the radio and computing resources serve as a massive distributed antenna array. The fabric will get weaved into conventional buildings and objects and thus, the RadioWeaves will be invisibly embedded in the environment.…”

Cell-Free Massive MIMO: Distributed Signal Processing and Energy Efficiency

“…Finally, Paper C proposed an algorithm for maximizing the energy efficiency of the RadioWeaves network with underlay spectrum sharing. RadioWeaves is an emerging technology built upon the concepts of Cell-Free Massive MIMO and possibly large intelligent surfaces wherein the antennas and underlying signal processing circuitry are weaved into large surface areas such as conventional buildings and objects [50]. Abstract: Cell-free massive multiple-input-multiple-output (mMIMO) is an emerging technology for beyond 5G with its promising features such as higher spectral efficiency and superior spatial diversity as compared to conventional multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) technology.…”