The emerging millimeter-wave (mmWave) networking technology promises to unleash a new wave of multi-Gbps wireless applications. However, due to high directionality of the mmWave radios, maintaining stable link connection remains an open problem. Users’ slight orientation change, coupled with motion and blockage, can easily disconnect the link. In this paper, we propose RoMil, a robotic mmWave relay that optimizes network coverage through wireless sensing and autonomous motion/rotation planning. The robot relay automatically constructs the geometry/reflectivity of the environment, by estimating the geometries of all signal paths. It then navigates itself along an optimal moving trajectory, and ensures continuous connectivity for the client despite environment/human dynamics. We have prototyped RoMil on a programmable robot carrying a commodity 60 GHz radio. Our field trials demonstrate that RoMil can achieve nearly full coverage in dynamic environment, even with constrained speed and mobility region.

中文翻译：

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机器人毫米波无线网络

新兴的毫米波（mmWave）网络技术有望释放出新一波的多Gbps无线应用。然而，由于毫米波无线电的高方向性，保持稳定的链路连接仍然是一个开放的问题。用户略微改变方向，再加上运动和阻塞，都可以轻松断开链接。在本文中，我们提出了RoMil，这是一种毫米波机器人中继器，可通过无线感应和自主运动/旋转计划来优化网络覆盖范围。机器人继电器通过估算所有信号路径的几何形状来自动构建环境的几何形状/反射率。然后，它会沿着最佳移动轨迹进行导航，并确保尽管环境/人为因素仍能为客户提供连续的连接。我们已在搭载商用60 GHz无线电的可编程机器人上制作了RoMil原型。我们的现场试验表明，即使在速度和机动性受限的地区，RoMil仍可以在动态环境中实现几乎完全覆盖。