Researchers at Ulster University have used artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a learning system that could change the future of mobile connectivity. The innovation promises to make 6G communications faster, smarter and a lot more energy efficient. Named MIMONet, it tackles one of the most urgent challenges in global wireless communication: how to detect and process signals accurately and efficiently when millions of devices are connected simultaneously.
“We’re tackling a fundamental bottleneck in wireless communication. By applying AI to one of the toughest engineering challenges, we’ve developed a system that improves accuracy while easing the processing load. That’s essential as the world moves towards 6G and billions of connected devices,” said Ulster University PhD researcher, Yunis Daha.
At the heart of 6G are massive multiple-input multiple-output (ma-MIMO) systems. Traditional methods for MIMO signal detection are not always accurate and often use enormous computational power, making them impractical for real-time use. MIMONet overcomes this by applying a lightweight deep learning architecture that can quickly and efficiently determine separate signals even in the most complex and noisy conditions. The result is faster, more reliable and less power hungry communications networks, since they will require less hardware and energy.
MIMONet has been proven to outperform traditional algorithms, but also the currently most advanced AI-driven detectors such as AIDETECT, developed at Ulster University in 2023. Building on that earlier success, MIMONet delivers superior accuracy across small, medium and large network configurations whilst keeping computational demands low. This combination of power and efficiency makes it robust enough for the enormous demands of next-generation networks, with potential applications in ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) – essential for technologies such as driverless cars, real-time medical robotics and future smart cities.
“6G will underpin technologies like autonomous transport, remote healthcare and immersive digital environments – but for these to work, networks need to process vast amounts of information quickly and reliably. This research shows how artificial intelligence can provide a practical solution, paving the way for communications that are both highly scalable and energy-efficient,” said Dr Usman Hadi of Ulster Unversity.
