Paper on “Smart surfaces” PUBLISHED in Computer Networks

The paper “Experimental Study of a User-Centric RIS in Existing Cellular Systems” authored by the members of the Wireless Networks Lab Arseny Poyda, Andrey Tyarin, Kirill Glinskiy, Ilya Burtakov, Aleksey Kureev, and Evgeny Khorov has been published in Computer Networks.

A critical challenge in modern wireless networks is improving coverage and capacity without costly infrastructure upgrades. The study considers a promising tool – Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) – that optimizes the signal propagation path via configurable relflection. Traditionally, RISs are supposed to be controlled by base stations, requiring deep integration into telecom operators’ systems — a barrier to rapid deployment. The paper highlights an innovative user-centric approach, where mobile devices themselves manage RIS adjustments, enabling consumers to enhance signal power in homes or offices independently, without operator intervention. This shift could revolutionize connectivity, particularly for cell-edge users in outdoor and indoor scenarios.

The authors develop a practical user-controlled RIS system, where mobile devices measure signal in real-time and instruct the RIS to adjust its configuration and optimize the performance. With this system, the authors build a prototype that works efficiently in sub-6GHz bands and doubles uplink/downlink speeds in field tests. The RIS adjustments are based on a beam-sweeping algorithm, which completes in under six seconds — much faster than using existing approaches. Notably, their solution bypasses the need for standardized operator support. The current research direction can potentially accelerate the arrival of plug-and-play smart surfaces for everyday connectivity.

Developing a reconfigurable smart surface has become a completely new challenge for our team. Our first prototype is far from perfect, but we were able to conduct full-fledged high-quality experiments in real LTE networks with it. The results obtained inspired our team to create another, more advanced prototype, which we are already working on.

tells the WNL member and the author of the paper Andrey Tyarin.

The paper is published in Computer Networks, a first quartile (Q1) journal.

Wireless Networks Lab is a ‘Megagrant’ lab established in 2017 around the project on Cloudified Wireless Networks for 5G and beyond, led by Prof. Ian Akyildiz. Currently the WNL members, led by Evgeny Khorov, regularly present their results at leading scientific conferences, cooperate with Russian and international companies, and contribute to the standardization of wireless networks.