Smart buildings, with large reflecting surfaces that propagate electromagnetic waves and direct them where they are needed. This is not science fiction, but a consolidated research field. At least in Trento, where a lot of work has already been done on smart electromagnetic environments. Advancements that will revolutionize cities starting from the way in which buildings are designed: they will cease to be an obstacle to signal propagation, and become a resource to cover larger areas and blind spots with no signal. In a crucial moment for the development of our country, with the funds of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, this will make it possible to provide an even stronger signal to families, businesses, the public administration, without increasing the electromagnetic field levels in the environment.
The Eledia research group of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering - Dicam of the University of Trento has been working in this field for years, developing cutting-edge technological solutions and building an international network of laboratories and collaborations with important international actors. Now a new agreement opens new perspectives and increases the competition in the area of national and international research: Dicam of UniTrento and the Sensors & Devices Centre of Fondazione Bruno Kessler – a reference centre for highly integrated sensors and devices for Big Science and industrial and technical applications – are partnering to extend their reach in the strategic sector of materials, microsystems, energy and the environment. The new laboratory, named Smart Electromagnetic Environment (Seme), will design future smart cities at the forefront of research in Europe.
Reflecting surfaces offer multiple advantages for wave propagation. In particular, they improve the efficiency, quality and inclusiveness of digital communications, but also the beauty, organization and well-being of cities, as there is no need to install new antennas. What makes this technology possible is a "smart skin", a surface specifically designed and fabricated to be integrated on the walls of existing and newly-designed buildings. This highly advanced solution improves and increases the interaction between signals and the surrounding environment.
"We are very proud of this new collaboration between Fbk and UniTrento in this area of research which is in line with the national and international goals for next-generation wireless communication systems", commented Andrea Simoni, Secretary General of Fbk. Oreste Salvatore Bursi, director of Dicam, shares the same view and said that "A smart, more inclusive and secure environment and better services can be within the reach of all communities thanks to energy saving, environment-friendly technologies. These challenges fascinate researchers of course, but they also attract the industrial sector. With this laboratory, our Department will continue to grow and will have the opportunity to become even more prestigious, attracting new resources and new, talented students".
The research groups are coordinated by Leandro Lorenzelli of Fondazione Bruno Kessler and Paolo Rocca of UniTrento. The teams have been working together for some time to study the complex problems posed by these new technological challenges at various levels. "This is a great opportunity not only for the research system of Trentino - they added - but also for Trento and for the Trento Smart City project. Thanks to the work done in recent years, we are now in a position of competitive advantage. Now this agreement is giving us the institutional framework and the resources to imagine new developments, bearing in mind the importance of connections with the business and industrial world".