Event Description
Wireless Communication in Reverberant Environments
Implementation of wireless networks in reverberant environments, such as naval vessels, aircraft, and industrial warehouses, has proven challenging, because the rich electromagnetic scattering in these environments can result in destructive multipath interference. While the electromagnetic nature of reverberant environments has been thoroughly studied, the performance of wireless communications has not be fully investigated.
I propose characterizing the performance of 802.11 wireless communications in reverberant environments. Performance metrics will be correlated with environmental properties through experimental evaluation in a controlled reverberation chamber as well as below decks of a decommissioned naval vessel. I propose improving on the performance of the wireless communications by incorporating reconfigurable antennas for antenna pattern diversity. To perform this work, I present a methodology and testing protocol for systematic characterization of wireless communications in reverberant environments. The primary contributions of this work are empirical characterization of wireless communications, approaches to improving the performance of wireless communications, and a methodology for experimentation in both controlled and live reverberant environments. |
