Doodle Labs has secured a ample $1.6 million Tactical Funding increase from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Air Force Research Laboratory aimed at enhancing beamforming capabilities for its Mesh Rider radio series.
This funding marks a continuation of the support initiated by a 2019 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the Air Force, which facilitated the development of S-band and C-band radios currently deployed in various military robotic applications.
as explained by doodle Labs, beamforming is an advanced wireless technology that employs complex antenna systems on both mobile devices and network base stations to direct a wireless signal toward a specific target, rather than dispersing it over a broad area.
The benefits of beamforming are critically important, offering a more robust data link with enhanced range and throughput. This technology is notably appealing to the U.S. military, which is increasingly focusing on investments in unmanned aerial and ground vehicles, and also other interconnected systems.
moreover, beamforming presents substantial advantages for commercial and industrial robotic applications, including tasks such as mapping and scanning, uncrewed delivery services, and mobile surveillance. It also supports connected teams, such as first responders and off-grid rescue operations.
The development of this technology aligns with Qualcomm’s latest 802.11ax chipsets, which feature integrated beamforming capabilities. Doodle Labs is recognized as a certified Qualcomm Development Partner. The entire current range of Doodle Labs’ mesh Rider radios is built on Qualcomm chipsets, and the company views the advancement of mesh networking technology to facilitate beamforming as a logical progression.
