5G/6G Network Planning Using Lidar-Generated 3D Models of Indoor/Outdoor Spaces and Ray Tracing

Ismail Guvenc

Project runs from 01/25/2021 to 03/31/2021
$50,000

Compared to sub-6 GHz links, millimeter-wave (mmWave)/THz radio links are limited in range due to higher losses both in free space and through building material/surrounding objects. As 5G and 6G networks are expected to utilize frequencies up to 100 GHz and 3 THz, respectively, indoor/outdoor spaces of interest should be modeled accurately for efficient planning of these networks.
In our previous project, we created a set of indoor/outdoor environments using BLK360 Lidar. For a particular environment, we combined point clouds from multiple scans and imported the merged data to a ray tracing software (Wireless InSite) in the form of a mesh to identify the best places for 5G base stations. However, the software used for creating meshes generated hundreds of triangles even for small-size flat surfaces (e.g., walls), increasing roughness of the surfaces. Since the small wavelength leads to significant variations in scattering effects due to rough surfaces, in this project, we aim to use advanced software (e.g., Cyclone, Geomagic, and Pointfuse) with the help of additional computational resources and have more reliable representation of the environments (i.e., better meshes). We plan to investigate the performance of the networks at 28/39/144 GHz frequencies and compare the ray tracing results with those of actual channel measurements using our NI –based channel sounders.