Research

From simulations to a compact model

I ran a campaign of 550 FDTD simulations across two adult and two child body models, at 15 frequencies from 450 MHz to 26 GHz. The simulations compare environmental exposure with beamforming towards the person.

Patterns in these results led me to a compact model of how the body absorbs electromagnetic waves. I derived the model from Fresnel transmission and body geometry, and checked it against FDTD, analytical solutions and published measurements. It forms the calculation engine behind AEGIS.

Full-body models comparing incident plane waves from multiple directions with beamforming toward a point near the body — Exposure scenarios. (a) Environmental exposure from 12 isotropic directions. (b) Auto-induced exposure with beamforming from 4 directions. Figure 1, Wydaeghe et al. · CC BY 4.0.

Simulation study · PMB Compact model · Submitted manuscript AEGIS

Measurements and calibration

Robotic electric-field measurements in a room at 28 GHz

I designed and carried out robotic measurements of the electric field in a room at 28 GHz. I use these scans to calibrate the material properties, antenna position and measurement alignment in the simulation.

To check whether the model predicts measurements it has not seen, I hold out one measurement plane at a time and fit the model using the others.

Calibration manuscript · To be submitted

Variation and uncertainty

In my outdoor simulations, I combine ray tracing with QuaDRiGa to model the small-scale variation of the wireless channel along a walk. I then use FDTD to compute the fields inside the body.

In the ten-city study, I use repeated random ray samples to check numerical convergence, and compare material assignments while keeping the geometry and sampling fixed. For the compact model, I also examine how uncertainty in tissue properties affects the predicted absorption.

Ray tracing, QuaDRiGa & FDTD · npj Ten-city study · Submitted manuscript Tissue properties · Submitted manuscript

A city walk and the transfer of radio-frequency fields through a Huygens box to an anatomical body model — Configuration and propagation (A); hybridization and exposure (B). Figure 1, Wydaeghe et al. · CC BY 4.0.

Scientific software

Software details

GOLIAT

I built GOLIAT to configure, run, analyse and report FDTD simulation campaigns in Sim4Life. It keeps the study settings with the results and handles the repeated setup and extraction work.

Code Documentation Python package Tutorials Monitoring dashboard Software paper · Submitted manuscript

AEGIS

AEGIS uses my compact model to calculate electromagnetic exposure on people in 3D environments. The Python calculation engine is connected to an interactive viewer, with documentation and tests alongside the code.

App Documentation Code

Research visit & awards

Research visit · IT’IS Foundation & Zurich MedTech BioEM & Sim4Life awards

Affiliation

WAVES research group · imec & Ghent University

WAVES GOLIAT research project

Research projects

My Ph.D. is funded in part by the following research projects. Check out their websites!

GOLIAT project: to improve the quality of epidimiological studies, I use computer simulations to quantify how fields are realistically absorbed in humans. Funded through the European Commission's Horizon program.

"SHAPE - next generation wireless networks" project: to know how 6G antenna systems impact the exposure on humans. Funded through Methusalem.

"ATTO - A new concept for ultra-high capacity wireless networks" project: to know how extremely performant systems in 'Factories of the Future' affect our exposure. Funded through the ERC.

GOLIAT SHAPE ATTO