This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops and evaluates a flexible sparse array smart antenna system that can be reconfigured through the use of multiple mobile robots. Current robotic systems are limited because they cannot utilize beamforming due to their limited number of antennas and the high computational requirement of beamformers. This pioneering research is made possible through recent breakthroughs for ultralow computational complexity beamforming and multi-mobile robot cluster control. Unlike current beamformers, the antennas in the sparse array will not be physically connected together but instead each robot will have a single antenna. By developing new signal processing and robotic control techniques, robotic communications will be enabled where impossible today due to range, dead spots, or interference. Over-the-air measurements will make it possible to finally evaluate how key issues (distance between robots, geometric shape of the sparse array, etc.) affects system performance.

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it can revolutionize commercial robotic systems and other applications in the wireless industry. Enabling multi-robot collaborative communications makes reliable communications possible in worst-case environments. Performance evaluation of sparse arrays will provide valuable insight for collaborative communications for other applications such as distributed sensor networks while the beamformer?s ultralow computational requirement makes it feasible to be added to current and future wireless systems. Creation of a new class of robotic communications will enable robots to be more effective in current applications and create new markets for the robotic sector. The use of robots has increased exponentially with robots increasingly relied upon for defense, law enforcement, and manufacturing, but communication limitations prevent robots from being effective in many situations. Preventing this critical loss of communications for robots searching for people trapped in collapsed buildings or while on scout missions can save lives and have a great societal impact. This research will foster new fields of scientific and technological understanding by enabling Academia and Industry researchers to evaluate the advances made through this pioneering research, which will enable performance optimization for smart antenna systems whether the antennas are physically connected or at different locations.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnerships (IIP)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
0946027
Program Officer
Muralidharan S. Nair
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2010-01-01
Budget End
2010-06-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$150,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Adaptive Communications Research Inc.
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
San Diego
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
92130