Reliable Communication and Intelligent Sensing for Dynamic Environments

Ultra-reliable WiFi connectivity is becoming essential in modern warehouse automation, where digital systems increasingly coordinate inventory flow, worker interaction, and real-time decision-making. This presentation explores the core requirements for dependable wireless operation in fast-moving warehouse environments, including consistent low latency, predictable coverage, seamless mobility, and resilience against interruptions. We highlight the unique challenges warehouses pose for WiFi reliability, such as constantly changing layouts, dense metal structures, moving inventory, and the presence of multiple competing wireless devices. Through concrete use-cases, we show how reliable WiFi underpins functions like dynamic task allocation, live inventory tracking, automated quality checks, and safe coordination between human workers and automated systems.

The rise of autonomous vehicles, such as drones and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), is creating new opportunities across logistics, construction, inspection, and many other industries. However, achieving truly robust autonomy and safe remote operation depends heavily on reliable sensor perception and low-latency data transmission. Remote piloting adds further challenges: high-bandwidth sensor data must be streamed dependably, and onboard compute is often insufficient for running advanced AI models. In this talk, we present the connectivity and control architectures we developed to enable fully autonomous piloting of drones performing industrial-quality inspections with AI assistance. We will share the practical challenges encountered in real deployments and describe the final architecture that enables robust, low-latency remote operation over long distances.

Visible light communication (VLC) exploits the optical spectrum and its envisioned high-speed, low-latency wireless technology supports the vision of sixth generation (6G) networks. Beyond data transmission, the same LEDs and infrastructure enable visible light positioning (VLP), a secure, and centimeter-accurate positioning technology suitable for a wide range of applications in smart industry, logistics, healthcare, and more. Recent advances—such as positioning using unmodulated LEDs (uVLP)—further broaden the potential of light-based systems by using available light sources without any alterations. Finally, in visible light sensing (VLS), existing lighting systems are repurposed for energy-efficient and ubiquitous sensing. This talk will provide an overview of the underlying principles of VLP and VLS, using recent research results to illustrate benefits of positioning and sensing through visible light.

• Demo 1 – Movu Robotics:
  ultra-reliable WiFi connectivity for autonomous mobile robots
• Demo 2 – Flanders Make:
  flexible wireless connectivity for autonomous vehicles
• Demo 3 – Better than Wired:
  ultra reliable and deterministic wireless networking
• Demo 4 – imec-IDLab:
  Wireless time-sensitive networking research infrastructure enabled by openwifi
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The talk addresses the critical challenge of managing the crowded radio frequency (RF) spectrum by efficiently identifying technologies, accidental interference , and intentional jamming. The core problem is the limitations of current signal identification methods. Traditional domain-expertise approaches are complex and non-scalable , while supervised Deep Learning fails due to severe label scarcity and poor generalization to new wireless technologies. The proposed solution is a paradigm shift to Wireless Physical Layer Foundation Models (WPFM). These task-agnostic models are trained through self-supervised learning on unlabeled data, solving both the data scarcity and generalization problems. This framework is key for future RF applications, including spectrum management and multi-RAT technology recognition.

As wireless systems take on roles traditionally reserved for fixed cabling, expectations for reliability, latency, and predictability are rising sharply. “Ultra-reliable and deterministic wireless” describes a new class of networks engineered to deliver guaranteed performance—bounded latency, minimal jitter, and near-perfect availability—regardless of environmental or traffic conditions. This talk explores what determinism in wireless truly means, how it differs from conventional best-effort connectivity, and why industries are now demanding it. We will examine which forces could drive adoption, from industrial automation and robotics to smart infrastructure and real-time control, and consider where deterministic wireless can not only match wired performance but surpass it in flexibility and deployment efficiency. Finally, we will discuss the practical path forward: what is technically feasible today, what remains challenging, and why the shift toward “better-than-wired” wireless networks is becoming both feasible and necessary.