Researchers have developed an affordable solution to a critical challenge facing the deployment of 6G networks in indoor environments. The upcoming wireless technology relies on millimeter waves that carry enormous amounts of data but struggle to penetrate physical barriers like walls and furniture, resulting in unreliable coverage indoors.
Engineers at UC San Diego have created FlowForm, a system of inexpensive reflective tiles designed to redirect millimeter-wave signals around obstacles rather than attempting to transmit through them. Each six-by-six-inch tile contains thousands of microscopic features that passively guide incoming signals in specific directions. The tiles require no power source, electrical wiring, or software maintenance once installed on walls or ceilings.
Field testing across five real indoor spaces demonstrated that the tiles nearly doubled average data transfer rates and more than doubled coverage in challenging layouts such as cluttered offices. Performance matched that of active reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, which are powered electronic panels costing thousands of dollars per unit. In contrast, FlowForm tiles cost approximately two dollars each and integrate seamlessly into existing networks without requiring additional hardware or software modifications.
The technology, inspired by how streams merge into rivers, employs two complementary tile types: some create long transmission pathways across rooms while others distribute signals outward to areas where users are located. Researchers have filed a provisional patent and indicated openness to commercial partnerships for bringing the technology to market.
Originally reported by Livescience →
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