Our Bureau
Stanford, CA
Stanford University in a rare honor has decided to celebrate Three Decades of MIMO and Prof. Arogyaswami Paulraj’s 80th Birthday in a workshop on July 29, 2024. Paulraj, a famous Indian American academician and the pioneer of MIMO Technology laid out the groundwork for the digital revolution, the world is witnessing today. MIMO technology is at the core of all 4G/5G mobile and WiFi wireless networks, which now power the digital economy across the world.
The first papers on MIMO theory were published by researchers at Bell Labs beginning in 1997 and were soon followed by others in academia, particularly the Smart Antenna Research Group at Stanford University. In 1998, Gigabit Wireless Inc., a spin-off from Stanford, began commercializing MIMO-OFDM as an air interface technology for cellular networks.
Dr Paulraj served in the Indian Navy for 25 years on R&D assignments ranging from developing ASW sonar systems to sabbaticals at Stanford University and IIT Delhi, where he made foundational contributions to the theory of signal processing. He was also involved in founding three national labs for India: AI and Robotics, High-speed Computing, and Military Electronics. In 1991, Dr. Paulraj retired from the Navy with the rank of Commodore and joined Stanford University as a research associate.
Recently, Professor Arogyaswami Paulraj was awarded the 2024 Prince Philip Medal from the Royal Academy of Engineering UK. His citation reads, ‘for pioneering the invention of Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology, the foundation for all current and future broadband wireless communications.’
The award is made biennially to an engineer who has made exceptional contributions to engineering through practice, management, or education. The 2024 Prince Philip Medal recognizes Dr Paulraj’s invention and commercialization of Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MIMO) wireless technology, the core enabler of 4G, 5G mobile, and Wi-Fi networks.
“I am deeply honored to receive this prestigious recognition,” said Dr Paulraj. “After pioneering this breakthrough wireless technology and now seeing its transformative impact, it is indeed humbling. I remain excited for more opportunities for innovations driven by new applications and the increasing geographic spread of wireless networks.”
Dr Paulraj has received many of the world’s top recognitions in technology, including the Faraday Medal, the Alexander Graham Bell Medal, and the Marconi Prize. He is also the recipient of the Padma Bhushan Award from the Government of India and the Friendship Award from the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
