Thousands of attendees have convene this week in San Francisco for the IEEE MTT-S 2016 International Microwave Symposium (IMS) which is being held at the Moscone Center from the 22 to 27 May, 2016. The annual conference and exhibition of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society (MTT-S), is the largest international meeting for technologists involved in all aspects of microwave theory and practice. The theme this year is "The Gateway to the Wireless Future". Dr. Martin Cooper (Inventor of the cell phone) kicked off the event yesterday with an interesting talk.
The exhibition is one of the largest of its kind for the RF & Microwave Industry with over 630 exhibitors from around the world debuting the latest advancements in communications, defense, wearable electronics, medical applications, virtual reality and more.
Products and innovations at IMS are quickly becoming key components for next generation technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, 5G, automobile radar, the Internet of Things, and even commercial drones. Millimeter-wave technology will also be a major trend, with a significant number of technical sessions and workshops dedicated to the topic as engineers explore ways to increase bandwidth and reduce interference for wireless devices.
From autonomous vehicles to augmented reality, we’re seeing incredible advancements in technology, but we need to ensure we have an adequate infrastructure to support these emerging applications. IMS is truly the gateway to the wireless future where the technical community convenes to share research and discuss the solutions that will make these technologies a reality.
Along with a three-day exhibition and full schedule of 75 technical sessions, the event will also feature IEEE’s Interactive Mars Exploration Vehicle (MEV) experience, a cooperative experience in which three players, each using a VR headset and microphone, virtually command a planetary exploration vehicle and collaborate to accomplish a series of missions. Players appear inside the game as 3D digital avatars but must communicate verbally to manipulate the rover controls and operate the vehicle. This hands-on demonstration showcases how microwave and RF technology makes many of today’s greatest innovations possible, but also explores the future of human interaction with and within virtual environments.
This MEV experience is a part of the symposium’s Wearables & Wireless Pavilion, which showcases emerging wearable electronics that utilize RF and microwave technologies. Curated and sponsored by Wireless Design and Development, this Pavilion will feature a number of consumer-facing technologies including a smart driving assistant, the first home wireless system, and devices that don’t just think, but instinctively react to their surroundings.
Additionally, IMS will feature speakers from major players such as Google, Facebook, Mediatek, Apple and Amazon. This expansion of participation in this year’s show illustrates the importance of RF and microwave technology and research within the broader technology industry. More than 80 exhibitors from Asia, spanning a wide range of countries including China, Japan, and more, will participate in the symposium’s exhibition. IMS was most recently named one of Trade Show News Network’s top 50 fastest-growing shows in the United States.
As the centerpiece of Microwave Week 2016, IMS will also share the stage with the RFIC Symposium and the ARFTG Conference. This conference consists of a full week of events, including technical paper presentations, workshops and tutorials, and an exhibition featuring more than 630 companies. everything RF is covering this event and is publishing news and products released at the show - Click here to see everything about IMS 2016.
