LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT IN MANUFACTURING
5G has been the big enabler of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing , providing the enhanced connectivity and operability that unlocks the true potential and impact of automation , robotics , data , digital twins and AI .
It ’ s dramatically changing how manufacturers approach design , engineering and the broader supply chain in industries spanning aerospace to food to automotive to fashion . But do you know the story behind it ? The existence of the 5G we know today is owed to the incredible work of one man : Arogyaswami Paulraj , Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University .
A groundbreaking inventor and celebrated engineer , his work paved the way for the rapid advancement of wireless communication .
“ I understood that the Indian Navy had been experiencing some difficulties with sonar ”
AROGYASWAMI PAULRAJ , PROFESSOR EMERITUS , DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING , STANFORD UNIVERSITY
From the Navy to the net Arogyaswami was born into a large family in Pollachi , India , with his father serving in the Indian Navy . Arogyaswami followed in his footsteps , serving from 1965 to 1991 .
During this period he was a technological trailblazer , establishing three key R & D labs for the Indian government and leading the development of the APSOH antisubmarine sonar system .
For these contributions , he was awarded India ’ s third-highest civilian honour : the prestigious Padma Bhushan Award .
Arogyaswami then left the Indian seas to travel to America , joining Stanford University as a postdoctoral researcher . He grew fascinated by wireless communication , making it the centre of his research , leading to his groundbreaking invention of Multiple-Input , Multiple-Output ( MIMO ) wireless technology .
Why MIMO matters for manufacturing MIMO uses a wireless propagation phenomenon called multipath to boost coverage performance . This phenomenon occurs when wireless signals bounce off objects including cars , trees and buildings , leading the signals to arrive at the receiver at varying times .
In a conventional SISO or non-MIMO system , when a signal and reflected signal arrive at the receiver at different times they become destructive , taking out small pieces of each other and making it difficult for the receiver to decode .
100 January 2025