Holographic Intelligent Surface (HIS)–Enabled Smart Wireless Environment
Executive Summary
This lab-scale Holographic Beamforming Surface–Enabled Smart Wireless Environment testbed enables controlled experimentation on environment-aware and RIS-assisted mmWave propagation. Operating at 28 GHz, the platform integrates a programmable reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), active mmWave beamforming, and a flexible RF measurement backend to dynamically manipulate electromagnetic wavefronts at both the transmitter and environmental levels. The testbed supports experimental research on holographic beamforming, surface-assisted channel shaping, and smart wireless environments for future 5G/6G and ISAC systems.
Core Components
Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS)
A programmable RIS functions as a spatial electromagnetic aperture, enabling dynamic control of reflection phase and amplitude for wavefront shaping, beam redirection, and holographic focusing.
TMYTEK BBox One mmWave Beamformer
The TMYTEK BBox One provides programmable beamforming at 28 GHz with electronic phase and gain control, supporting rapid beam steering and codebook-based operation.
Directive mmWave Illumination
A 28 GHz horn antenna delivers stable, high-gain illumination of the RIS and measurement region, enabling repeatable and well-characterized propagation experiments.
RF Switching and Measurement
A custom RF switch matrix and Keysight FieldFox microwave analyzer support flexible signal routing and wideband channel measurement for systematic RIS-assisted characterization.
Spatial Probing
Calibrated monopole antennas mounted on precision positioning stages enable spatial channel sampling and beam profiling.
Capabilities
Holographic and RIS-Assisted Beamforming
- Programmable wavefront synthesis and spatial focusing
- Environment-level beam steering and reflection control
mmWave Channel Characterization
- Wideband channel response measurement
- Spatial field mapping and repeatable benchmarking
Smart Wireless Environment Research
- Environment-aware propagation control
- Foundations for AI-driven and surface-assisted wireless systems
ISAC-Oriented Extensions
- Surface-assisted sensing and localization
- Joint communication–environment manipulation