Date: Friday, Apr 24, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM CT
Abstract : AraCOTS5G is a field-deployed, experimental 5G research platform designed to support real-world experimentation with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) 5G radio access networks. Built on production-grade Ericsson 5G infrastructure and integrated within the ARA software ecosystem, AraCOTS5G provides standardized REST APIs and containerized control services for configuration, monitoring, data collection, and experiment automation. These software abstractions enable researchers to conduct repeatable and programmable 5G experiments without direct interaction with vendor-specific management tools. In this webinar, we will present an overview of the AraCOTS5G platform, its software architecture and API framework, and demonstrate an end-to-end experimental workflow, enabling the broader research community to design and reproduce experiments on real-world 5G deployments.
Bio: Guoying Zu is a Ph.D. candidate in Computer Engineering at Iowa State University whose research explores the foundations of AI-native wireless networks for 6G and beyond. Her work focuses on embedding machine learning directly into the control and optimization loops of massive MIMO and MUMIMO systems, enabling intelligent, self-adaptive beamforming and beam management in dynamic radio environments. She has led the design and integration of AI/ML-driven control modules within commercial RAN platforms, advancing the vision of programmable, data-driven wireless infrastructure that seamlessly bridges theory and real-world deployment. Before entering academia, Dr. Zu spent more than a decade in industry at China Mobile Research Institute and Nokia Siemens Networks, where she contributed to large-scale 5G system evaluations, Massive MIMO network optimization, and protocol evolution. Her research has earned multiple Best Paper Awards at leading IEEE and ACM venues, and she actively contributes to experimental wireless living labs that serve as testbeds for future AI-native and 6G network architectures.