Accessibility statement

Dr. Yi Chu

Senior Research Fellow

Email: yi.chu@york.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1904 32 3497

Research Area: Communication Technologies

Areas of Expertise: AI for Wireless Networks, 6G Mobile Networks, Self-Organising IoT, Non-Terrestrial Networks

Biography

Biography

Yi Chu received his B.Sc. degree in electronic engineering from China Agriculture
University, Beijing, China in 2008, the M.Sc. degree in communications engineering
from the University of York in 2009, and the Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering
from the University of York in 2014. He is now a Senior Research Fellow with the
Centre for High Altitude Platform Applications (CHAPA), Institute for Safe Autonomy
(ISA), School of Physics, Engineering and Technology, the University of York. His
research interests include wireless and quantum communications applications on
aerial platforms, AI/ML for 6G networks, communications system prototyping using
software defined radio, cell-free mMIMO networks, wireless signal propagation and
intelligent algorithms for IoT. He led/participated in over 20 research projects
including the UK government funded MANY, YO-RAN and REACH.

Publications

Publications

Publications information is available via the Google Scholar

Research

Research Interests:

  • Developing temporary/permanent 5G networks for terrestrial and non-
    terrestrial applications.
  • Developing RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and intelligent xApps for Open-

RAN (O-RAN) networks:

  • O-RAN components integration and interoperability testing.
  • Developing O-RAN compliant cell-free (CF) testbeds and associated xApps.
  • Implementing Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) using aerial platforms.
  • AI technologies for wireless communications and computer vision
    applications.
  • Software Defined Radio (SDR) evaluation of future mobile networks, including
    both MAC and physical layer techniques.

HI-Five (July 2025 – present): ESA funded project investigates the impact of integrity
of the 5G network for Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services.

O-RAN - Applicability to UK Rail (April 2025 – present): HITACHI Rail funded project
aims to explore the capability of Open RAN as a candidate for Future Railway Mobile
Communication System (FRMCS).

Lab of The North (LoTN) (October 2024 - present): initiative pulls telecom related
resources and facilitates from universities, industries and local authorities in the
north of England.

YO-RAN (March 2023 – December 2025): DSIT flagship project which develops an
Open RAN Neutral Host Network (NHN) incorporating Open Networking principles,
which will ensure they are embedded in future networks.

SONIC Technology Access Program (August 2024 – April 2025): This project
collaborates with SONIC Labs (SmartRAN Open Network Interoperability Centre) of
Digital Catapult and uses SONIC’s RIC testing facility for developing and testing
AI/ML based xApps for energy efficiency.

REACH (August 2023 – March 2025): DSIT flagship project which aims at
developing and deploying O-RAN networks at Blackpool.

HiQ (April 2021 – July 2023): EPSRC Quantum Hub funded project aims at
developing and testing a Continuous Variable QKD (CV-QKD) payload on an aircraft.

Falls detection in elderly people using WiFi signals (August 2021- March 2022): This
project collaborates with Orbital Global Group and develops a deep learning based
falls detection system using WiFi signals.

AWARE (February 2021 – June 2021): In collaboration with Wireless Coverage Ltd,
this project aims to deliver an enhancement for the industrial wireless network
planning tool WISDM.

MANY (February 2020 – June 2022): one of the UK’s 5G testbed and trials
programme projects. This project provides a comprehensive study on deploying 5G
networks particularly in rural North Yorkshire.

QCHAPS (February 2019 – January 2020): This project investigates the feasibility of
delivering QKD from HAPs.

Project: CHAPA (August 2016 – July 2017): Sustainable Wireless Communication
using High Altitude Platforms and Terrestrial infrastructures.

Project: NetCoM (Nov 2013 – July 2016): Physical Layer Network Coding for Cooperative Wireless Networks (NetCoM) funded by EPSRC.