Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

In the world of cell phones and internet, get ready for something even faster than 5G – it's called 6G, and it's about to shake things up big time!

So, what's the deal with 6G? Well, it's not just a speed boost from 5G; it's a whole new way of connecting things. Think of it like upgrading from a regular bicycle to a super-fast and self-driving electric bike – it's faster, more efficient, and can do things the old one couldn't.

Scientists are excited about 6G because it's not just about making our phones faster. It's like adding new and improved superpowers to our wireless gadgets. They're coming up with fancy tricks, like using smart surfaces to make sure signals get where they need to go super quickly.

Now, here's the cool part – 6G isn't just about your phone. It's like bringing together all sorts of gadgets – from your regular phone to those small Wi-Fi boxes you have at home. CMU Computer Science faculty member, Patrick Seeling, is jumping into this world of 6G, but instead of digging into the nitty-gritty technical stuff, he’s figuring out how to use all these new tricks to make our lives better.

Seeling is working on making our networks more flexible, kind of like changing the rules of the game on the fly. And get this – they're teaming up humans with machines, so it's not just about faster downloads but also about making us work better with our gadgets. Imagine getting better at using your tech and even teaching it some new tricks!

They're calling this fancy collaboration a step toward the "metaverse," which is like a super-connected world that goes beyond just video calls. Imagine a world where you and friends from across the globe can learn new skills together as if you were in the same room! Or doctors being able to help patients far away without having to be there! But, there's a catch – our sense of touch (haptic sense) needs things to happen really fast to feel real. CMU is teaming up with some German experts to figure out how to make our gadgets respond almost instantly, making our experiences feel more lifelike.

Seeling shared that they're working on something called "negative latency" – a bit of tech magic that could make everything happen even faster, like before we even do them!!!

As these tech wizards race to bring us 6G, it's not just about faster internet; it's about making our gadgets and the world around us work seamlessly with us. So, get ready for a future where our devices not only connect faster but also become indispensable allies!