Demo: WiART - Visualize and interact with wireless networks using augmented reality

Abstract

With the increasing programmability and fast-paced dynamics of modern wireless systems, it has become more difficult to gain timely insights into wireless network operations. In this demonstration1 we present WiART, an augmented reality framework to help visualize and interact with wireless network activities in real time. WiART collects real-time radio and network statistics from participating network devices and depicts them on users' mobile devices in an intuitive way, leveraging the virtual information overlay of augmented reality. Specifically in our current implementation, WiART takes inputs from a cognitive radio link controlling beam-steerable reconfigurable antennas and annotates on a live mobile screen the active pre-measured radiation patterns. In the reverse flow, WiART enables users to select desired antenna radiation patterns directly in the mobile app and observe their effects on link performance in real time. These capabilities add an unprecedented level of instant visualization and interaction with wireless activities and provides valuable insights into the dynamics of a reconfigurable antenna-based cognitive radio network.