Chirag Rao

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Chirag Rao is a wireless communications researcher whose work centers on low-frequency radio propagation, channel characterization, and practical communication systems for challenging environments. His most significant contribution lies in advancing the understanding of the lower Very High Frequency (low-VHF) band — a relatively underexplored spectrum with compelling potential for short-range, low-power communications and geolocation in cluttered indoor and urban settings. His 2015 paper on short-range low-VHF channel characterization in cluttered environments stands as his most impactful work, accumulating 46 citations and helping establish foundational knowledge about near-ground propagation behavior that most prior research had overlooked in favor of longer-range, elevated-node scenarios. Complementing this theoretical groundwork, Rao has also pursued applied research, notably demonstrating real-time digital video streaming over low-VHF radio links integrated onto compact robotic platforms operating in complex Non-Line-Of-Sight environments — a practically significant achievement for autonomous systems in infrastructure-poor settings. Together, his body of work bridges rigorous channel measurement and simulation with real-world system deployment, making meaningful contributions to the design of resilient, low-power wireless networks for robotics and emergency communications.