After three years of successful research and partnership, the final workshop of the 6G-LICRIS project (Liquid Crystal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for 6G Mobile Networks) recently took place at the Science Tech Space of the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (Fraunhofer HHI). The results of the project, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR), were presented to representatives from science and research, such as the VDI-VDE.
The aim of 6G-LICRIS was to significantly increase the capacity, coverage, and range of future 6G networks through the use of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) with minimal energy requirements. To this end, new materials were developed whose reconfigurability is based on controllable liquid crystals. Unlike semiconductor technologies, these are better suited for higher frequencies, such as those used in the 6G range. The newly developed technology was then integrated into a test mobile network to investigate the propagation of radio waves using the reflective surfaces and to demonstrate end-to-end data transmission in a real-world environment.
Various software and hardware demonstrators were presented. Fraunhofer HHI showcased the following highlights:
- A software framework that integrates channel modeling, system-level simulation, and RIS control and visualization
- A real-time RIS demonstrator with a mobile receiver that includes augmented reality-based visualization and control
- A live end-to-end 5G NR network with a controllable liquid crystal RIS demonstrator developed as part of the project.
The project results show that configurable, energy-efficient surfaces are an important factor for future 6G networks. Especially in densely populated urban areas and industrial environments, they improve coverage and keep the number of active antennas low. At the same time, the development of novel liquid crystal technologies in Germany and Europe strengthens technological sovereignty and long-term innovation capabilities.
Fraunhofer HHI would like to thank Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG for coordinating the consortium and Ericsson Antenna Technology Germany GmbH, MERCK Merck KGaA, IMST GmbH, BROWN-IPOSS GmbH, the University of Stuttgart, and the Technical University of Berlin for their fruitful collaboration.
Learn more about the 6G-LICRIS project here.