D-EoL-TA project was focused on disruptive technological solutions, namely (i) an automated and digitized distributed end-of-line tester systems, (ii) an anechoic chamber, to be installed end of-line, capable of being automatically calibrated, (iii) an energy consumption monitoring system, based on an end-to-end IoT sensing ecosystem, measuring energy consumption during testing, (iv) ML/IA algorithms to collect, process and analyze data from tester systems and the distributed tests themselves, and (v) cybersecurity mechanisms with data encryption to ensure the security and integrity of the industrial data.
IT role comprised designing a novel anechoic chamber with 2D material for compact and portable solutions. The portable compact chamber uses 2D material, which has similar performance to the conventional chambers for 0.5-6 GHz, and an Autonomous Radiation Pattern Measurement System.
Nowadays, anechoic chambers for electromagnetic waves (e.g., radio), regardless of their size, are coated with bulky, fragile, and environmentally harmful 3D materials. Often pyramid-shaped, these coatings occupy a considerable space within the chamber, imposing large casings, even for small antennas. The tips of these 3D coatings are fragile and break very easily, seriously affecting their performance and increasing maintenance costs. Moreover, these coatings contain carbon black in their composition, a material that poses environmental and health hazards.
The present technology is characterized by a revolutionary ultrathin 2D metamaterial absorber (sub-wavelength), able to effectively absorb electromagnetic waves ranging from 700 MHz to 18 GHz. This new anechoic coating absorber occupies incomparably less volume than the traditional 3D materials, without compromising efficiency. This promotes portability and usability, as chambers can be significantly smaller and lighter. Additionally, the 2D structure is much sturdier than the 3D ones, reducing costs and performance issues. The production cost for this new absorber is also considerably lower compared to traditional 3D absorbers. This new technology is particularly relevant to industries that need to test small antennas.
The anechoic chamber is currently under patent approval.
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