Smart Antenna
Tired of broken cell-phone connections? Help is in sight. Michael Zoltowski, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, combines a pair of antennas with an advanced signal-processing algorithm to create a smart wireless receiver that rejects interference. The two antennas let phones or handheld devices “listen” for the cellular transmitter that is delivering the strongest signal. The receiver then ignores weaker signals while a “space-time equalization” algorithm restores the timing and sequence of codes that cellular base stations use to send data.
The result, Zoltowski says, could be as much as a hundredfold increase in reception accuracy. The technology should also triple the number of users that can occupy a given frequency band-a welcome development as wireless devices proliferate. Texas Instruments, which partially funded the research, is testing a two-antenna phone and hopes to incorporate Zoltowski’s algorithm into cellular systems within five years.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has quit Google
Hinton will be speaking at EmTech Digital on Wednesday.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.