9 May 2018

WMG enhances collaborative R&D capability with the UK’s most advanced 5G mmWave test platform

Mobile telecommunication operators, infrastructure suppliers, car manufacturers, and local councils are all seeking to understand the benefit from the leap in bandwidth promised by 5G technologies, and are lining up to use the very latest 5G evaluation technology now available at the University of Warwick.

WMG at the University of Warwick has just acquired the UK’s most advanced diagnostic and testing platform for a key part of the 5G spectrum – mmWave. This technology promises to deliver a step change in the amount of data that can be wirelessly transmitted, opening up opportunities for a range of new services and products, including those associated with enabling connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

This has been provided by a £250,000 WMG Centre HVM Catapult award for facilities and people alongside an equipment collaboration with National Instruments (NI) for their mmWave technology platform.

WMG’s Connected and Autonomous Vehicles research team are already working with a range of industrial partners on connectivity, verification and validation, and the understanding and optimisation of user/customer interaction with driverless technology. This new facility will further enhance WMG’s vison to be the UKs “go to” CAV development platform providing unrivalled research and testing that will accelerate product introduction, infrastructure design and implementation. The technology developed will be transferable to other sectors beyond automotive.

A team of researchers led by Dr Matthew Higgins, Associate Professor at WMG, is now integrating the new 5G mmWave technology platform from NI into their current projects.

WMG’s Dr Matthew Higgins said:

“Core to our methodology is the ability to evaluate early in the development cycle the potential use of 5G mmWave communications systems within project partners’ products. This new collaboration deploys NI’s latest test and measurement solutions as such activity providing us with both state of the art hardware, capable of transmitting real information in the frequency bands of choice, as well as access to the control software, providing agility when being deployed in real scenarios.”

Dr Erik Kampert, HVM Catapult Senior Research Fellow added that:

“Working with NI and being granted first access to their leading platforms allows us to be ahead of the CR&D curve. This further enhances our standing as the preferred partner within the UKs CAV community.”

James Kimery, Director of Wireless Research and SDR marketing at NI said:

“Our flexible platform and mmWave technology has been used by wireless researchers globally to develop 5G candidate technologies. We’re excited to work with the University of Warwick and Dr. Higgins’ team of researchers to validate the importance of connectivity as the world moves towards intelligent transportation.”