Toward Industry 5.0: Intelligent Reflecting Surface in Smart Manufacturing
Md. Noor‐A‐Rahim, Fadhil Firyaguna, Jobish John, Mohammad Omar Khyam, Dirk Pesch, Eddie Armstrong, Holger Claußen, H. Vincent Poor
Abstract
Industry 5.0 envisions close cooperation between humans and machines requiring ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC). The intelligent reflecting surface (IRS) has the potential to play a crucial role in realizing wireless URLLC for Industry 5.0. IRS is forecast to be a key enabler of 6G wireless communication networks as it can significantly improve wireless network performance by creating a controllable radio environment. In this article, we first provide an over-view of IRS technology and then conceptualize the potential for IRS implementation in a future smart manufacturing environment to support the emergence of Industry 5.0 with a series of applications. Finally, to stimulate future research in this area, we discuss the strength, open challenges, and opportunities of IRS technology in modern smart manufacturing.