Scientists Invent New Method for Terabit Wireless Speeds Around Obstacles Using Machine Learning, AI, and Metasurfaces

Researchers have long faced significant difficulties in the field of ultra-high frequency communications. Their extremely sensitive signals easily fade when encountering natural obstacles such as walls, furniture, or even the movement of individuals, hindering effective transmission and leading to interruptions in modern communication. However, a new approach from Princeton University engineers offers a glimmer of hope that these barriers may not be permanent obstacles, although the transition from experiment to real-world deployment remains uncertain.

In the near future, AI-powered Wi-Fi signals may be able to identify contents inside boxes or tools hidden in a drawer. This promising development, dubbed the "smart light switch," could boost ultrabroadband network speeds by up to 1,000 times, keeping pace with the growing demands of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and superintelligence technologies. However, there's a troubling caveat: criminals could exploit AI to pick up sounds through thick walls using flaws in common laptop microphones.

From Physical Experiments to Adaptive Transmission

The idea of bending signals to avoid obstacles is not new. Engineers have long worked with "Airy beams," which can bend in controllable ways. However, their application to wireless data has been hampered by practical limitations. Haowu Chen, one of the researchers involved in this project, explains that most previous work focused on demonstrating that these beams could exist, not on making them effectively usable in unpredictable environments. The problem is that each curve depends on countless variables, and there is no direct way to scan or calculate the optimal path.

To make the beams useful and practical, the researchers borrowed a sports analogy. Instead of precisely calculating every shot, basketball players learn through repeated practice what works in different contexts. Chen points out that the Princeton team aimed for a similar process, replacing athletes who rely on trial and error with a neural network specifically designed to adapt its responses.

Instead of actually sending beams for every possible obstacle, Ph.D. student Atsutosti Kludzi built a simulator that allowed the system to practice virtually. This approach significantly reduced training time while still grounding the models in the physics of Airy beams.

Once trained, the system was able to adapt with lightning speed, using a specially designed metasurface to shape transmissions. Unlike traditional reflectors, which rely on external structures, the metasurface could be integrated directly into the transmitter, allowing beams to bend around sudden obstacles, maintaining connection without the need for a clear line of sight. The team demonstrated that the neural network could choose the most effective beam path in cluttered and changing scenarios, something traditional methods cannot achieve. They also claim this is a step towards harnessing the sub-terahertz band, a part of the spectrum that could support up to ten times more data than today's systems.

Metasurfaces: Key to Advanced Wireless Communications

Metasurfaces are engineered materials designed to interact with electromagnetic waves in unnatural ways, allowing precise control over wave properties such as their amplitude, direction, and polarization. In this research, they were used to guide "Airy beams" around obstacles. This innovative technique opens new avenues for overcoming the challenges faced by high-frequency wireless communications. More information about metasurfaces can be reviewed in the Techxplore source and a Nature Communications research paper.

The Importance of the Sub-Terahertz Band

Lead investigator Yasaman Ghasempour argued that addressing obstacles is essential before this frequency band can be used for demanding applications such as immersive virtual reality or fully autonomous transport. Ghasempour stated: "This work addresses a long-standing problem that has prevented the adoption of such high frequencies in dynamic wireless communications until now."

Challenges remain. Transforming laboratory demonstrations into commercial devices requires scaling up hardware, improving training methods, and demonstrating that adaptive beams can quickly handle real-world complexity.

The promise of wireless links approaching terabit speeds may be visible, but the path around obstacles, both physical and technological, remains winding.

Via Techxplore.

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Evosa Udinmwen, a freelance journalist. Evosa has been writing about technology for over 7 years, initially driven by curiosity but now by a strong passion for the field. He holds Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Science, which provided him with a strong foundation in analytical thinking. Evosa developed a keen interest in technology policy, specifically exploring the intersection of privacy, security, and policy. His research delves into how technological advancements impact regulatory frameworks and societal norms, particularly concerning data protection and cybersecurity. Upon joining TechRadar Pro, in addition to privacy and technology policy, he also focuses on business-to-business (B2B) security products. Evosa can be contacted at this email: udinmwenefosa@gmail.com.

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