Periodic Reporting for period 2 - Hexa-X (A flagship for B5G/6G vision and intelligent fabric of technology enablers connecting human, physical, and digital worlds)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-01-01 do 2023-06-30
The Hexa-X project laid the foundation for the future 6G networks, enabling unification of the physical, digital, and human worlds, addressing the expectation of ever-increasing performance with improved throughput, coverage, or reliability while ensuring that trustworthiness is embedded into the design. Meanwhile, wireless networks must pro-actively provide sustainable digital solutions to address UN sustainable development goals.
The overall objectives of the Hexa-X project were:
1. Foundations for an end-to-end system towards 6G: Develop the 6G x-enabler fabric and the key value indicators for a vision of connecting intelligence, sustainability, trustworthiness, inclusion, and extreme experience.
2. Radio performance towards 6G: Deliver extreme performance utilizing key radio technology components, through higher bands and localisation/sensing.
3. Connecting intelligence towards 6G: Deliver methodology, algorithms, and architectural requirements for an AI-native network, through AI-driven air interface and AI governance.
4. Network evolution and expansion towards 6G: Deliver enablers for an intelligent network of networks, through network disaggregation and dynamic dependability.
5. Impact creation towards 6G: Drive a global open discussion on key 6G topics through dissemination, leveraging of outcomes, contributions to standard development, regulatory forums, scientific and industrial domains.
These objectives have been fulfilled by technical works and dissemination.
The overall objectives of the Hexa-X project were:
1. Foundations for an end-to-end system towards 6G: Develop the 6G x-enabler fabric and the key value indicators for a vision of connecting intelligence, sustainability, trustworthiness, inclusion, and extreme experience.
2. Radio performance towards 6G: Deliver extreme performance utilizing key radio technology components, through higher bands and localisation/sensing.
3. Connecting intelligence towards 6G: Deliver methodology, algorithms, and architectural requirements for an AI-native network, through AI-driven air interface and AI governance.
4. Network evolution and expansion towards 6G: Deliver enablers for an intelligent network of networks, through network disaggregation and dynamic dependability.
5. Impact creation towards 6G: Drive a global open discussion on key 6G topics through dissemination, leveraging of outcomes, contributions to standard development, regulatory forums, scientific and industrial domains.
These objectives have been fulfilled by technical works and dissemination.
Hexa-X developed the 6G vision; outlined six use case families and the concept of the 6G system assessment in terms of key performance indicators and key value indicators; and outlined the end-to-end (E2E) 6G system architecture. The project developed enablers for efficient spectrum utilization, sustainability, and security for 6G, and analyzed contributions to sustainability and societal targets including energy consumption reduction, enabling emission reductions in 6G-powered sectors of society, and reduction in the total cost of ownership.
The project established a framework for ultrawideband radio design within the sub-THz frequency band; developed a channel model at 140 GHz, material-wave interaction model for the frequency range 2-140 GHz, and hardware models; designed flexible radio, hybrid beamforming architecture, waveforms, and D-MIMO transmission schemes. Hexa-X presented a 6G technology roadmap and a demonstrator on the feasibility of sub-THz transmission with flexible waveforms.
Hexa-X developed several methods for extreme high accuracy, low latency, and high-resolution localisation and sensing reaching 0.1 to 0.3 m sensing accuracy, and 0.01 and 0.2 degrees positioning accuracy, similar to lidar angle resolution. Demonstrator showcased feasibility of joint communication and sensing.
The project introduced AI/ML enablers for the 6G air interface design for functionalities including channel coding, beam selection for D-MIMO, demapping for power amplifier non-linearity compensation, constellation learning for sub-THz transmission, and beamforming. Hexa-X developed AI/ML-based enablers for security, privacy, and trust in 6G, and for sustainable 6G. Demonstrator showcased the concept of federated explainable AI.
Hexa-X presented the architectural enablers for intelligent, flexible, and efficient 6G networks. The project developed enablers and frameworks for distributed intelligent networks; flexible network enablers for extreme performance, scalability, and global service coverage; and efficient network enablers for enhancing scalability, signaling overhead, and resource consumption compared to the previous generations.
The project developed enablers for intelligent management and orchestration, and for continuum management of device, edge, radio access network and cloud. Demonstrator showcased the feasibility of data-driven device-edge-cloud continuum management.
Hexa-X developed enablers for ultra-flexible resource allocation procedures in challenging environments, high dependability in vertical scenarios, and supporting the convergence of the human, digital, and physical worlds with human interaction through novel human-machine interface concepts and digital twins. Demonstrator showcased extreme performance in handling unexpected situations in industrial contexts.
Hexa-X published more than 110 peer-reviewed scientific papers, produced more than 120 contributions to standardization bodies, and generated at least 33 patent applications. The project published 33 videos in Hexa-X YouTube channel with more than 9.4K views. Hexa-X developed six demos, all presented in the Hexa-X booth at EuCNC &6G Summit, resulting in receiving the best booth award. The project reached extensive publicity with more than 56K website visits.
Hexa-X organized several workshops for the dissemination of the results including two virtual 6G workshops with around 700 registered participants, and two 6G workshops at EUCNC & 6G Summit.
The project established a framework for ultrawideband radio design within the sub-THz frequency band; developed a channel model at 140 GHz, material-wave interaction model for the frequency range 2-140 GHz, and hardware models; designed flexible radio, hybrid beamforming architecture, waveforms, and D-MIMO transmission schemes. Hexa-X presented a 6G technology roadmap and a demonstrator on the feasibility of sub-THz transmission with flexible waveforms.
Hexa-X developed several methods for extreme high accuracy, low latency, and high-resolution localisation and sensing reaching 0.1 to 0.3 m sensing accuracy, and 0.01 and 0.2 degrees positioning accuracy, similar to lidar angle resolution. Demonstrator showcased feasibility of joint communication and sensing.
The project introduced AI/ML enablers for the 6G air interface design for functionalities including channel coding, beam selection for D-MIMO, demapping for power amplifier non-linearity compensation, constellation learning for sub-THz transmission, and beamforming. Hexa-X developed AI/ML-based enablers for security, privacy, and trust in 6G, and for sustainable 6G. Demonstrator showcased the concept of federated explainable AI.
Hexa-X presented the architectural enablers for intelligent, flexible, and efficient 6G networks. The project developed enablers and frameworks for distributed intelligent networks; flexible network enablers for extreme performance, scalability, and global service coverage; and efficient network enablers for enhancing scalability, signaling overhead, and resource consumption compared to the previous generations.
The project developed enablers for intelligent management and orchestration, and for continuum management of device, edge, radio access network and cloud. Demonstrator showcased the feasibility of data-driven device-edge-cloud continuum management.
Hexa-X developed enablers for ultra-flexible resource allocation procedures in challenging environments, high dependability in vertical scenarios, and supporting the convergence of the human, digital, and physical worlds with human interaction through novel human-machine interface concepts and digital twins. Demonstrator showcased extreme performance in handling unexpected situations in industrial contexts.
Hexa-X published more than 110 peer-reviewed scientific papers, produced more than 120 contributions to standardization bodies, and generated at least 33 patent applications. The project published 33 videos in Hexa-X YouTube channel with more than 9.4K views. Hexa-X developed six demos, all presented in the Hexa-X booth at EuCNC &6G Summit, resulting in receiving the best booth award. The project reached extensive publicity with more than 56K website visits.
Hexa-X organized several workshops for the dissemination of the results including two virtual 6G workshops with around 700 registered participants, and two 6G workshops at EUCNC & 6G Summit.
The 6G vision, use cases and novel concept of key value indicators will guide the 6G research going forward. Novel tools for efficient spectrum utilization will enhance the performance in mid bands and higher bands while the work on the security architecture for 6G will provide a means to counteract the 6G threat landscape.
The developed channel models will provide means for evaluating the 6G performance at sub-THz. The design and evaluation of the waveforms and beamforming techniques will provide essential insights into the limitations and required tradeoffs for building the 6G system.
The conducted works on the joint communication and sensing will enable solutions that can completely reinvent the purpose of the radio communication, providing access to ubiquitous cost-effective connected sensors that can truly usher in the cyber-physical world.
The AI-based air interface design will provide adaptive and efficient communication link. The in-network learning can leverage on the evolution of AI to facilitate optimization and automation at all levels of the network, while ensuring explainable AI to provide the root cause of the AI-based decisions.
The works on the architectural enablers in the project will provide the framework to enhance intelligence, flexibility, and efficiency of the networks, by providing enablers for analytics and federate learning, integration of a wide range of connectivity options for global and efficient coverage and streamlining the interfaces and signaling to enable cloud deployment of both radio access and core networks.
The works in the project will fully leverage on the AI capabilities to enable an efficient device-edge-cloud continuum management and orchestration (M&O) and to foster a data-driven M&O with highly automated DevOps techniques.
The work towards dependable connectivity and sustainable coverage provide solutions for efficient optimizations of control-communication-codesign with providing e.g. AI as a service or Compute as a service, as well as integrating zero-energy devices. The work on novel human-machine interfaces will enable expansion of the digital twin concept with unprecedented monitoring and interaction capabilities.
The dissemination activities ensured that the results from the technical work packages are properly communicated ensuring continued standardization impact. The exploitation analysis confirmed the interests and plans by the partners to fully utilize the developed technologies.
The developed channel models will provide means for evaluating the 6G performance at sub-THz. The design and evaluation of the waveforms and beamforming techniques will provide essential insights into the limitations and required tradeoffs for building the 6G system.
The conducted works on the joint communication and sensing will enable solutions that can completely reinvent the purpose of the radio communication, providing access to ubiquitous cost-effective connected sensors that can truly usher in the cyber-physical world.
The AI-based air interface design will provide adaptive and efficient communication link. The in-network learning can leverage on the evolution of AI to facilitate optimization and automation at all levels of the network, while ensuring explainable AI to provide the root cause of the AI-based decisions.
The works on the architectural enablers in the project will provide the framework to enhance intelligence, flexibility, and efficiency of the networks, by providing enablers for analytics and federate learning, integration of a wide range of connectivity options for global and efficient coverage and streamlining the interfaces and signaling to enable cloud deployment of both radio access and core networks.
The works in the project will fully leverage on the AI capabilities to enable an efficient device-edge-cloud continuum management and orchestration (M&O) and to foster a data-driven M&O with highly automated DevOps techniques.
The work towards dependable connectivity and sustainable coverage provide solutions for efficient optimizations of control-communication-codesign with providing e.g. AI as a service or Compute as a service, as well as integrating zero-energy devices. The work on novel human-machine interfaces will enable expansion of the digital twin concept with unprecedented monitoring and interaction capabilities.
The dissemination activities ensured that the results from the technical work packages are properly communicated ensuring continued standardization impact. The exploitation analysis confirmed the interests and plans by the partners to fully utilize the developed technologies.