WiFiUS: Millimeter Wave-Based Wearable Networks in High-End IoT Applications

用于增强或虚拟现实等高级应用的可穿戴电子设备通常会生成大量数据。使用无线链路传输此类数据避免了对繁琐电缆的需要，但传统无线技术不支持这些新兴应用所设想的千兆位每秒吞吐量。毫米波通信是为可穿戴电子设备提供更高数据速率和更低延迟的一种解决方案。这项研究旨在为毫米波可穿戴网络的关键方面提供严格而系统的设计。重点是设计该系统的重要方面，使其能够在许多人使用可穿戴设备的拥挤地区运行。更广泛的影响包括教学、指导、代表不足的群体的参与、通过演示和视频的社区推广，以及通过与行业合作伙伴的合作进行技术转让。该研究项目解决了物理层和媒体访问控制层的毫米波可穿戴式链路中的通信基本原理。在理论方面，该项目开发了估计毫米波信道的新的数学工具，并设计了结合阵列约束的毫米波多天线信道通信的新算法。它还创建了新的协议，这些协议从头开始设计，以包括现有毫米波介质访问控制协议工作中没有的多天线功能。在实用方面，该项目创建了包含阵列几何、方向和阻塞效果的通道模型，这些效果是根据可穿戴设备的设置量身定做的。它还在试验床上实现了算法的关键方面，以验证理论假设并对模型进行改进。这项研究的成果包括用于可穿戴设备的快速可重新配置和强大的高带宽毫米波通信链路。

Wearable electronic devices for advanced applications like augmented or virtual reality typically generate large amounts of data. Using wireless links to deliver such data avoids the need for cumbersome cables, yet conventional wireless technologies do not support the gigabits per second throughput envisioned by these emerging applications. Millimeter wave communication is one solution to provide wearable electronic devices with higher data rates and lower latency. This research is aimed at providing a rigorous and systematic design of the key aspects of a millimeter wave wearable network. The emphasis is placed on designing important aspects of the system that will permit operation in crowded areas with many people using wearable devices. Broader impacts include teaching, mentoring, participation of underrepresented groups, community outreach through demonstrations and videos, and technology transfer through collaborations with industry partners.This research project addresses the fundamentals of communication in millimeter wave wearable links at the physical layer and medium access control layers. On the theoretical side, this project develops new mathematical tools for estimating millimeter wave channels and devises new algorithms for communicating in millimeter wave multiple antenna channels incorporating array constraints. It also creates new protocols, which are designed from the ground up to include multiple antenna capabilities not found in existing millimeter wave medium access control protocol work. On the practical side, this project creates channel models that incorporate array geometry, orientation, and blockage effects tailored to the wearable setting. It also implements key aspects of the algorithms in a testbed to validate the theoretical hypotheses and provide refinements to models. Outcomes of this research include rapidly re-configurable and robust high bandwidth millimeter wave communication links for wearable devices.