Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces in Factory Environments: Channel Modeling and Use-Case Analysis

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is a breakthrough technology in wireless communications, enabling dynamic control over the propagation environment to enhance signal quality and spectral efficiency. This article introduces a ray-tracing (RT) approach for simulating the impact of RIS technology in realistic scenarios. The fundamental aspects of the RIS model are validated against published measurements. The key novelty is the integration of the validated radar cross-section based RIS model into an RT tool and ensuring compatibility with any propagation range, allowing antennas to be positioned in either near-field (NF) or far-field (FF) conditions relative to the RIS. The model also uniquely addresses practical aspects, such as phase quantization (PQ) and wide-band response, essential for assessing RIS deployments in real-world mobile applications. This article evaluates RIS-assisted coverage enhancement for private industrial networks by applying RT to a complex factory scenario and conducting system-level simulations at 3.7 GHz and 27 GHz. The results underscore RIS’s ability to significantly extend coverage and improve link performance in challenging propagation conditions.