New technologies
5G smart reflectors
Audio 02:11
The French start-up Greenerwave has developed surfaces in the shape of small slabs whose structure reconfigures in real time in order to automatically redirect 5G waves to your receiver.
AFP - LIONEL BONAVENTURE
By: Dominique Desaunay Follow
2 mins
A young French company has developed smart reflector technology capable of controlling electromagnetic waves at will.
The device makes it possible to redirect the waves of Wi-Fi, satellites, radars, or even those of 5G, without the need to multiply the relay antennas, which are particularly energy-consuming and expensive.
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Indoor and urban environments are increasingly overloaded by waves from telephones, internet boxes, Wi-Fi or even those emitted by 5G antennas.
A saturation that often makes it very difficult to connect to your mobile or computer.
The phenomenon is due to the waves which, trapped between the walls, bounce in all directions.
The furniture also disturbs the good reception of the radio signal.
But the French start-
up Greenerwave
created in 2016 has solved this problem by developing surfaces in the form of small slabs whose structure reconfigures in real time in order to
automatically redirect the 5G waves
to your receiver.
These small devices thus eliminate disconnection zones, explains Geoffroy Lerosey, co-founder of Greenerwave: “
As soon as there are obstacles in your environment, such as furniture or machinery, you end up with connection problems, because your device no longer has direct communication between the signal source and the receiver.
To overcome this type of problem, we are currently multiplying the stations which emit the waves.
But this approach increases infrastructure costs drastically and it is not good for the environment since these base stations consume a lot of energy.
Our innovation is based on smart materials that control wave reflections.
These micro-mirrors consist of small cells that change shape using small electronics to redirect the beams of radio waves.
This technology is suitable for receiving 5G in a complex environment, but also for connecting with satellites.
These new low-cost antennas consume five to six times less electricity than current systems while providing optimal wave reception and very low energy consumption.
»
In concrete terms, the surface of Greenerwave's intelligent reflectors is lined with liquid crystals which deform at will.
Called Pixel by its
designers
, these micro-mirrors change their configuration under the effect of a low electrical voltage.
It is managed by software embedded in the electronic circuits to redirect the radio waves directly to the device you want to connect.
Ultra-sensitive flat antenna for satellite signals, connected barcodes to immediately invoice purchases in shopping carts, piloting of factory robots or even reception of radar waves from autonomous vehicles, this type of device is suitable for the industrial environment, offices and all environments that would be saturated by the millimeter waves of 5G.
If you have any questions or suggestions, you can write to us at
nouvelles.technologies@rfi.fr
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Computer science
New technologies