![]() ![]() The researchers tested the reflector with a variety of off-the-shelf Wi-Fi access points, including those using the latest Wi-Fi protocol 802.11ac. The reflector, composed only of plastic and a thin layer of metal, redirects wireless signals to the desired coverage areas.Īfter testing the approach in two different interiors for signal strength and speed, the researchers reported that optimized 3-D reflectors provide numerous benefits including: strong physical security, low cost, and ease of use for non-expert users. The current research generalizes this idea by presenting a systematic approach to optimizing reflector shapes for enabling a more developed set of signal distributions.Īfter assessing interior layouts and the target areas to strengthen or weaken signal strength, the Dartmouth research team placed a "computationally optimized" signal reflector around a wireless router. ![]() Through experiments presented in the research paper, the team improves upon previous studies that placed an aluminum soft-drink can behind a Wi-Fi access point to strengthen signal in one direction. Existing approaches to optimizing wireless signals rely on directional antennae to concentrate signals, but this equipment is either difficult to configure or beset by high cost. This also leads to reduced interference.Īchieving the goal of improved wireless performance is particularly challenging indoors because of the complex interactions of radio signals with the environment. Such a system can also make it more difficult for attackers by adding to existing security measures like encryption through physically confining wireless signals to limited spaces. By shaping signals, users can increase wireless efficiency through lessening the signal-deadening impact of building materials and interior layouts. ![]() "Not only do we strengthen wireless signals, we make those same signals more secure."Ĭustomizing the coverage of wireless networks inside buildings is critical for users to improve signal reception in desired areas while weakening signals in others. "Through this single solution, we address a number of challenges that plague wireless users," said Xia Zhou, an assistant professor of computer science at Dartmouth. The research, to be presented on Wednesday, November 8, at ACM's BuildSys 2017 in Delft, Netherlands, relies on 3-D printing to produce a cheap, customized reflector that directs wireless signals to where users need them most. ![]()
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