Achieving communication 10 meters underground

Walking into the laboratory of the "6G Engineering Center," the reporter first saw a transparent plastic box measuring over 1 meter in length and width, filled with yellow soil, in which two bundles of coils were placed, connected to several instruments on both sides. At this point, Jiang Tao took out two electronic boards resembling cards and inserted them into the soil, and the instruments displayed fluctuations in electromagnetic wave signals. "5G is mostly limited to above ground. This is a simulation experiment we conducted, mainly simulating underground communication environments such as mines, to test the effect of transmitting information using 6G technology," Jiang Tao introduced.

Jiang Tao (first from left) leading the reporter's group on a tour

Jiang Tao told the reporter that the team currently uses the latest 6G technology developed in-house to transmit information via magnetic signals, achieving a range of up to 10 meters underground, reaching a world-leading level. "This technology can also be applied to underwater communication. For example, in the future we could have a complete view of everything at the bottom of East Lake, transmitting and presenting the information through 6G technology." Previously, the team had just been approved for a key research and development project of the Ministry of Emergency Management. Focusing on this project, the team will develop related products next year to achieve communication at 50 meters underground, and will submit the product instruments and equipment to relevant departments, with hopes of nationwide promotion. Jiang Tao introduced that in the future, the "6G Engineering Center" will build an integrated space-air-ground information network, enabling rapid transmission of communication signals in space and underground as well.

It is reported that since the establishment of the Information Communication and Network Laboratory in 2008, the research team has undergone more than a decade of development and mastered a series of key technologies in the field of communication technology. The team has led and participated in multiple major national projects, and in 2017 established the "Space-Ground Integrated Information Network Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory." According to reports, in 2019, the team led the development of internationally leading high-performance radio remote units (RRU/AAU) and baseband processing units (BBU), promoting the global deployment of China's 4G base stations, and successfully applied them to 5G New Radio pre-commercial base stations, supporting the world's first "end-to-end 5G New Radio system interoperability" and driving 5G New Radio technology toward large-scale commercialization. In the same year, Jiang Tao was elected an IEEE Fellow, and the team won the second prize of the National Technological Invention Award.

6G will bring more convenience to the public

In another laboratory, the reporter saw other applications of 6G technology. Two robots were working together to push a cart, cooperating in the task. "Coordination between robots is a technical challenge. We use communication to connect the robots so they can 'communicate' with each other, which will have many application scenarios in the future," Jiang Tao said.

The experiment being conducted nearby by team members was even more striking for its high-tech feel. When one staff member used a robotic arm to grasp a cup, a staff member on the other side actually felt the same grasping sensation through related equipment. When the reporter tried it, as the staff member rubbed a steel wire board against the tip of the robotic arm, the reporter felt a clear vibration and the tactile sensation of the steel wire on their hand. "This is another major application scenario of 6G technology. Information transmission will become diversified—not just sound, but touch, smell, and more will all be achievable," Jiang Tao said. He elaborated that this will have great potential in fields such as e-commerce and smart healthcare; for example, when customers shop online, they could touch and feel the texture of clothing online.

Jiang Tao (second from left) introducing research content to team students

Jiang Tao stated that these are all key research directions of the team. In 2021, the Sixth Generation Mobile Communications (6G) Research Center built by the team was officially established, becoming an important platform for 6G research in China, and achieving multiple breakthrough advances in areas such as large-dimensional intelligent symbiotic wireless communication systems. Building on the accumulation of HUST's 6G scientific and technological achievements, the Hubei Provincial "6G Engineering Center" has expanded its "circle of friends," with industry leaders such as China Telecom and China Mobile participating in joint construction, committed to further enhancing original innovation capacity in the mobile communications field and building a base for research and development of core communication network technologies and major applications.

Jiang Tao (first from left) introducing the team's achievements

When will the 6G era arrive? What changes will 6G bring to our lives? During the visit, Jiang Tao also spoke with Jimu News reporters about future application scenarios of 6G: in terms of transportation, the future Internet of Vehicles will bring passengers a completely different driving experience, and vehicle speeds may reach those of high-speed rail; the low-altitude economy will develop rapidly, and a second traffic lane will appear in the air in the future; in terms of network speed, downloading a movie on 5G may take several minutes, while in the future 6G, several movies can be downloaded in one second—an improvement of about 100 times in every aspect.

Jiang Tao introducing the situation

"Technology is certainly meant to better serve life and serve humanity," Jiang Tao said. The team will take the approval of the Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center as an opportunity to lead team members in jointly promoting breakthrough advances in cutting-edge technologies of the new generation of mobile communications, laying a solid foundation for 6G commercialization and accelerating the 6G standardization process; it will focus on cultivating top-tier research talent in the new generation mobile communications field, serving as a bridge between 6G technology and industry, promoting the accelerated transformation of research results into products and applications, and enabling people to enjoy the convenience brought by 6G technology as soon as possible.