Robot-Based Multi-Purpose Measurement Platform for 6G Communications

A robot-based multi-purpose measurement platform for sub-THz measurements is presented. This platform is composed of a pair of precision robot arms on a metric optical breadboard for precise alignment. The robot arm is capable of controlling its coordinates within a few tens of micrometers, with rotation angles of less than 0.1°. At sub-THz frequencies, the platform itself acts as a semi-anechoic chamber. In this paper, each robot arm was equipped with a sub-THz frequency extender with a horn antenna for scattering parameter measurements with a vector network analyzer. To demonstrate the capabilities of the platform, we present measurement results of the free-space loss, antenna pattern, and communication channel characteristics, specifically the power delay profile and angle of arrival, as examples.