A team of researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS) has successfully engineered a robot-based system for measuring electromagnetic waves with exceptional accuracy, utilizing entirely domestic technology.

This innovative system integrates advanced robotic control with in-house developed calibration and measurement technologies. The resulting platform offers both high precision and significant flexibility for diverse industrial applications.

Applications Across Critical Industries

The technology is poised to serve several high-tech sectors. These include defense weaponry, the development of next-generation communication devices, and the testing of semiconductor antennas.

The system’s key capability lies in its positional control, which researchers claim achieves accuracy down to one-seventh the thickness of a human hair.

The Challenge of High-Frequency Measurement

The Need for Precision in Modern Tech

Electromagnetic wave bands are diversifying, especially in next-generation components like semiconductor package antennas and aircraft radar systems. Frequencies exceeding tens of gigahertz possess very short wavelengths.

As reported by Seoul Economics Daily, even minor misalignment during measurement can drastically skew results in these high-frequency bands. This necessitates the development of superior precision measurement techniques.

KRISS’s Robotic Solution

KRISS addressed this challenge by implementing robotic technology capable of precisely positioning both the measurement instrument and the target object simultaneously. The team avoided reliance on commercial robots.

Instead, they developed all core components internally, including the system design, control programs, and necessary position calibration methods, creating a truly ultra-precision measurement platform.

Technical Capabilities of the New System

Six-Degrees-of-Freedom Movement

The system employs six-degrees-of-freedom robotics. This grants it movement in all six spatial directions—up, down, left, right, forward, backward—along with rotational capabilities.

This flexibility allows the system to support various complex scan geometries. Furthermore, it can accurately measure electromagnetic waves across an extensive frequency spectrum, reaching up to 750 GHz.

Unprecedented Alignment Accuracy

The researchers confirmed that they achieved antenna alignment control within 10 micrometers. This level of precision, equivalent to about one-seventh of a human hair’s thickness, guarantees high reliability for sensitive high-frequency band measurements.

Advantages Over Conventional Testing

Flexibility and Cost Reduction

By utilizing a robot with flexible mobility, the new system mitigates the space and cost constraints associated with traditional, large-scale electromagnetic wave testing facilities.

It eliminates the need for massive installations and high construction expenditures. The robot can maneuver precisely around test targets to conduct necessary scans, allowing for repeatable, high-precision measurements in smaller areas at a lower overall cost.

Impact on Defense and Customization

These features are particularly beneficial for defense applications, where scaled models are used to assess electromagnetic wave scattering characteristics for weapons systems. Small positioning errors can severely impact the extrapolation of results to full-scale systems, according to SED.

The ultra-precision control technology helps minimize these evaluation errors, thereby boosting the reliability of defense system assessments. Moreover, the system’s design and control software are proprietary, enabling customized configurations for monitoring and measurement tailored to specific industrial requirements.

This adaptability allows the system to handle complex structures like aircraft radar and phased-array antenna modules requiring exacting control.

Future Outlook

Kwon Jae-yong, a principal researcher in the KRISS Electromagnetic Wave Measurement Group, stated that this achievement overcomes the limitations of fixed measurement methods by merging the robot’s flexible mobility with KRISS’s independently developed precision control technology.

Looking ahead, the team plans to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the system. This integration is intended to further advance electromagnetic wave measurement capabilities across vital national strategic areas, including defense, semiconductors, and next-generation communications.