Orix: orchestration of RIS with xApps for smart wireless factory environments

Abstract

The vision of a smart wireless factory (SWF) demands highly flexible, low-latency, and reliable connectivity that goes beyond conventional wireless solutions. Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-empowered communications, when integrated with the open radio access network (O-RAN) architectures, have emerged as a promising enabler to meet these challenging requirements. This article introduces the methodology for the orchestration of RIS with xApps (ORIX), bringing the RIS technology into the O-RAN ecosystem through xApp-based control for SWF environments. ORIX features three key components: an O-RAN-compliant RIS service model for dynamic configuration, an RIS channel simulator that supports 3GPP indoor factory models with multiple industrial scenarios, and practical RIS optimization strategies with finite-resolution control. Together, these elements provide a realistic end-to-end emulation platform for evaluating RIS placement, control, and performance in SWF environments prior to deployment. The presented case study demonstrates how ORIX enables the evaluation of achievable performance gains, exploration of trade-offs among key RIS design parameters, and identification of deployment strategies that balance system performance with practical implementation constraints. By bridging theoretical advances with industrial feasibility, ORIX lays the groundwork for RIS-assisted O-RAN networks to power next-generation wireless communication in industrial scenarios.