GWEn -- An Open-Source Wireless Physical-Layer Evaluation Platform

2025-01-22

AI Summary

Automated physical-layer testing of wireless devices (e.g., antennas) faces high costs, strong RF interference, and poor reproducibility—especially in field deployments. Method: This paper introduces an open-source, lightweight, field-deployable multi-axis gimbal-based wireless evaluation platform. Leveraging a hybrid 3D-printed and commercial gimbal architecture, it integrates a modular RF-shielded chamber and high-precision multi-axis motion control to enable fully automated, RF-interference-free radiation pattern measurements for UWB, millimeter-wave, and acoustic communication antennas. The platform is supported by open-source embedded firmware and a Python-based evaluation workflow. Contribution/Results: This work pioneers the adoption of open-source gimbal architectures for wireless physical-layer characterization, significantly reducing experimental barriers and hardware costs while improving measurement reproducibility and adaptability across diverse deployment scenarios.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Motion and Path Planning
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Machine Learning: Hardware-aware ML

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Web performance, measurement, and characterization
• Security and Privacy: Large-scale security measurements
• Responsible Web: Measurement, analysis, and circumvention of Web censorship

Abstract

Wireless physical layer assessment, such as measuring antenna radiation patterns, is complex and cost-intensive. Researchers often require a stationary setup with antennas surrounding the device under test. There remains a need for more cost-effective and open-source platforms that facilitate such research, particularly in automated testing contexts. This paper introduces the Gimbal-based platform for Wireless Evaluation (GWEn), a lightweight multi-axis positioner designed to portably evaluate wireless systems in real-world scenarios with minimal RF interference. We present an evaluation workflow that utilizes GWEn and show how it supports different types of wireless devices and communication systems, including Ultra-wideband, mmWave, and acoustic communication. GWEn is open-source, combining 3D-printed components with off-the-shelf parts, thus allowing researchers globally to replicate, utilize, and adapt the system according to their specific needs.

Problem

• Wireless Device Testing
• Cost-Effective Platform
• Open-Source Solution

Innovation

• Wireless Network Testing
• 3D Printing
• Customizable Platform