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From Radio-Frequency to Giga-Bit Optical- and Quantum-Wireless

Objective

The majority of the globe's population carries a mobile phone, but with the increasing proliferation of smart phones and tablet-computers the tele-traffic is predicted to grow 1000-fold over the next decade, especially, when aiming for creating the impression of ubiquitous and flawless 'tele-presence' based on crisp, three-dimensional (3D) video with its sense of joy and wonder. For tele-presence to become a reality requires a further quantum-leap from the popular 3G/4G smart phones and tablet-computers. This project will create the link-level enabling techniques of this transformational quantum leap to immersive Giga-bit 3D video communications, relying on Optical Wireless (OW) hotspots and their ad hoc networking.

As a result, the Beam-Me-Up project will contribute to job- and wealth-creation in numeorus ways, as exemplified by the often-quoted economic benefits of 3G/4G phones on businesses. From an environmental perspective, flawless tele-presence has the potential of eliminating millions of flights/trips and hence will considerably reduce CO2 emissions, whilst reducing the related business-costs as well as saving precious time for the work-force. However, the transfiguration of the voice-only phone into today's intelligent smart phone was facilitated by a 1000-fold transmission-rate increase, which would result in a proportionally increased power consumption, CO2 emissions and in a soaring energy-bill. Tele-presence based on crisp Avatar-style 3D video has even higher bitrates and energy consumption. These radically new high-rate 3D tele-presence services can no longer be accommodated in the severely congested Radio Frequency (RF) band.

Hence the project will create a suite of new OW system components, operating in the visible-light domain and will conceive low-power, low-complexity OW solutions to enable immersive Giga-bit 3D wireless video communications over heterogeneous networks.

Call for proposal

ERC-2012-ADG_20120216
See other projects for this call

Host institution

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
EU contribution
€ 2 470 416,00
Address
Highfield
SO17 1BJ Southampton
United Kingdom

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Region
South East (England) Hampshire and Isle of Wight Southampton
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Emma Mills (Mrs.)
Principal investigator
Lajos Hanzo (Prof.)
Links
Total cost
No data

Beneficiaries (1)