€6m for free space photonic networks for smart factories
A €6 million pan-European project is developing free space photonic network components for next generation industrial networks.
The SPRINTER project is developing four prototypes, from a 200Gbit/s photonic transceiver to an add-drop multiplexer, as well as millimetre wave (mmWave) high speed wireless, using proven components.
Existing copper-based networks are too slow and power hungry to be the backbone of the real-time, AI-driven future factories and warehouses that deploy automated robots, sensors, machine learning, and 5G-controlled systems
The hybrid photonic/wireless transceivers are being developed to switch seamlessly from light to mmWave radio signals in order to offer more flexibility and backup, ensuring immunity against any interference such as dust, smoke, or a passing bird blocks the beams of light.
The project is led by the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) in Athens with 11 partners from across Europe and one from Israel. players. Key contributors include Fraunhofer (Germany), imec (Belgium), LioniX International (Netherlands), and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (Spain), alongside Ericsson in Italy and Mellanox Technologies in Israel. SMEs such as PHIX, CUMUCORE, and FILL GmbH add specialised expertise in photonic packaging, 5G networking, and smart manufacturing. Swiss partner CSEM also supports the project, contributing expertise in microtechnology and system integration.
“Industry 5.0 demands faster, smarter, and more robust networks,” said Efstathios Andrianopoulos, a researcher on the ICCS team that leads SPRINTER. “Our goal is to make Europe the world leader in industrial photonics — providing the tools to support the next generation of automation, robotics and intelligent systems.”
“Factories are full of moving parts, dust, and interference — a nightmare for traditional Wi-Fi. That’s why we are developing hybrid “free-space optical and mmWave” transceivers that combine laser and radio technologies to maintain wireless connections, even in the noisiest settings.
“We are building a unified network platform that supports time-sensitive networking systems where delays of even milliseconds can mean the difference between smooth automation and a factory shutdown,” said Andrianopoulos.
SPRINTER is developing four prototypes for smart factories. As well as the ultra-fast 200 Gb/s optical transceivers for high-capacity core networks and hybrid free-space optical and mmWave transceivers, SPRINTER is developing wavelength-tuneable 10 Gb/s transceivers that can dynamically adapt to changing conditions in real-time.
To boost flexibility and efficiency, the project is also building a Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) optimised for space-division multiplexing, enabling intelligent data routing across complex networks – almost like smart traffic lights for data – to vastly increase the reliability and robustness of existing infrastructure.
www.photonics21.org; horizon-de-sprinter.eu/
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