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Measurement-Based Validation of Geometry-Driven RIS Beam Steering in Industrial Environments

Adam Umra, Simon Tewes, Niklas Beckmann, Niels König, Aydin Sezgin, Robert Schmitt

Abstract

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) offer programmable control of radio propagation for future wireless systems. For configuration, geometry-driven analytical approaches are appealing for their simplicity and real-time operation, but their performance in challenging environments such as industrial halls with dense multipath and metallic scattering is not well established. To this end, we present a measurement-based evaluation of geometry-driven RIS beam steering in a large industrial hall using a 5 GHz RIS prototype. A novel RIS configuration is proposed in which four patch antennas are mounted in close proximity in front of the RIS to steer the incident field and enable controlled reflection. For this setup, analytically computed, quantized configurations are implemented. Two-dimensional received power maps from two measurement areas reveal consistent, spatially selective focusing. Configurations optimized near the receiver produce clear power maxima, while steering to offset locations triggers a rapid 20-30 dB reduction. With increasing RIS-receiver distance, elevation selectivity broadens due to finite-aperture and geometric constraints, while azimuth steering remains robust. These results confirm the practical viability of geometry-driven RIS beam steering in industrial environments and support its use for spatial field control and localization under non-ideal propagation.

Measurement-Based Validation of Geometry-Driven RIS Beam Steering in Industrial Environments

Abstract

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) offer programmable control of radio propagation for future wireless systems. For configuration, geometry-driven analytical approaches are appealing for their simplicity and real-time operation, but their performance in challenging environments such as industrial halls with dense multipath and metallic scattering is not well established. To this end, we present a measurement-based evaluation of geometry-driven RIS beam steering in a large industrial hall using a 5 GHz RIS prototype. A novel RIS configuration is proposed in which four patch antennas are mounted in close proximity in front of the RIS to steer the incident field and enable controlled reflection. For this setup, analytically computed, quantized configurations are implemented. Two-dimensional received power maps from two measurement areas reveal consistent, spatially selective focusing. Configurations optimized near the receiver produce clear power maxima, while steering to offset locations triggers a rapid 20-30 dB reduction. With increasing RIS-receiver distance, elevation selectivity broadens due to finite-aperture and geometric constraints, while azimuth steering remains robust. These results confirm the practical viability of geometry-driven RIS beam steering in industrial environments and support its use for spatial field control and localization under non-ideal propagation.
Paper Structure (12 sections, 9 equations, 4 figures)

This paper contains 12 sections, 9 equations, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. Contributions
  4. System and Channel Model
  5. Experimental Validation
  6. Setup
  7. Model-based Optimization
  8. Experimental Results
  9. Area 1
  10. Area 2
  11. Discussion
  12. Conclusion

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Overview of the experimental setup at the Fraunhofer IPT production hall, including the TX, RIS, and the Leica Multistation.
  • Figure 2: Floor plan of the production hall at Fraunhofer IPT in Aachen. The area where measurements were conducted is highlighted by a red square. The considered areas are marked with green and brown shading, and the RIS position is marked with a blue rectangle.
  • Figure 3: Area 1: measured received power (dBm) heat maps for two receiver positions (near and far), using geometry-based per-grid-point RIS optimization.
  • Figure 4: Area 2: measured received power (dBm) heat maps for two receiver positions (near and far), using geometry-based per-grid-point RIS optimization.