Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INTEGRATE (joInt wireless commuNicaTion and sEnsinG by hologRaphic surfAce TranscEivers)
Reporting period: 2023-03-01 to 2025-02-28
As the standardization of 5G wireless networks progresses, the research community has started focusing on what 6G will be. Motivated by the need of ensuring high data-rates, while at the same time saving spectrum, a major technology that has been proposed for 6G is the integration of communication and sensing services in the same infrastructure.
To this end, INTEGRATE will leverage the technique of holographic beamforming by reconfigurable holographic surfaces. Placing holographic surfaces inside a base station transceiver to provide beamforming capabilities to accommodate both the communication and sensing tasks, while at the same time keeping complexity and energy consumption at bay. Specifically, holographic beamforming promises two key advantages compared to traditional architectures.
Compared to existing hybrid MIMO architectures, it brings new degrees of freedom to the system, because the EM response of each RHS unit can be tuned and reconfigured in real time, in order for the whole RHS to exhibit a desired overall EM response. This can be exploited for example to focus the transmitted power in the direction of the intended receiver, and/or to minimize the interference towards non-intended receivers.
Compared to existing massive MIMO architectures, these new degrees of freedom come at a lower energy consumption and cost. RHSs are nearly-passive devices, only requiring a small amount of energy to power the hardware components that enable the reconfiguration (low-power switches like PIN diodes or varactors). Then, hundreds of units can be equipped on one RHS, in contrast to the dozens of antennas that are used in massive MIMO arrays. Moreover, the RHS operates in the analog domain, without requiring energy-consuming conversion to/from the digital domain.
In this context, the INTEGRATE project focuses on the theoretical, algorithmic, and architectural foundations of integrated communication and sensing networks, developing the first open access network-level simulator for joint communication and sensing. In particular, the INTEGRATE project will:
Develop reconfigurable holographic surfaces capable of supporting joint communication and sensing tasks and that can be integrated in wireless transceivers with minimal cost and energy requirements.
Characterize the fundamental performance limits of integrated communication and sensing networks, developing an algorithmic framework and protocol suite to approach these limits.
Build the first open access software simulation platform for joint communication and sensing networks.
To this end, INTEGRATE will leverage the technique of holographic beamforming by reconfigurable holographic surfaces. Placing holographic surfaces inside a base station transceiver to provide beamforming capabilities to accommodate both the communication and sensing tasks, while at the same time keeping complexity and energy consumption at bay. Specifically, holographic beamforming promises two key advantages compared to traditional architectures.
Compared to existing hybrid MIMO architectures, it brings new degrees of freedom to the system, because the EM response of each RHS unit can be tuned and reconfigured in real time, in order for the whole RHS to exhibit a desired overall EM response. This can be exploited for example to focus the transmitted power in the direction of the intended receiver, and/or to minimize the interference towards non-intended receivers.
Compared to existing massive MIMO architectures, these new degrees of freedom come at a lower energy consumption and cost. RHSs are nearly-passive devices, only requiring a small amount of energy to power the hardware components that enable the reconfiguration (low-power switches like PIN diodes or varactors). Then, hundreds of units can be equipped on one RHS, in contrast to the dozens of antennas that are used in massive MIMO arrays. Moreover, the RHS operates in the analog domain, without requiring energy-consuming conversion to/from the digital domain.
In this context, the INTEGRATE project focuses on the theoretical, algorithmic, and architectural foundations of integrated communication and sensing networks, developing the first open access network-level simulator for joint communication and sensing. In particular, the INTEGRATE project will:
Develop reconfigurable holographic surfaces capable of supporting joint communication and sensing tasks and that can be integrated in wireless transceivers with minimal cost and energy requirements.
Characterize the fundamental performance limits of integrated communication and sensing networks, developing an algorithmic framework and protocol suite to approach these limits.
Build the first open access software simulation platform for joint communication and sensing networks.
At first, the project has focused on performing all the activities to get INTEGRATE up and running, including the recruitment of the researchers, signature of the consortium agreement, and set-up of the project management bodies (i.e. supervisory board, recruitment committee). Afterwards, the research activities could start. The workplan of the INTEGRATE project focuses on three main tasks:
TASK 1 Engineering holographic surfaces: This task develops novel metasurface structures suitable to support joint communication and sensing. Novel models for holographic surfaces will be developed and green metasurfaces for joint communication and sensing will be engineered.
Task 2 Transmission techniques and protocols: this task is focused on the design of joint communication and sensing networks. New fundamental performance limits will be derived, optimal waveform design and practical radio resource allocation for holographic-based integrated communication and sensing networks will be developed. Moreover, a novel software platform interface for automatic holographic surface control for joint communication and sensing network will be developed.
Task 3 Network-level simulator: this task is focused on the development of a new ray tracing module for networks based on holographic surfaces as well as the development of protocols for automatic operation and management of joint communication and sensing networks. All techniques and protocols developed during the project will be integrated into an overall network-level simulator capable of emulating the behavior of large networks supporting integrated communication and sensing.
In this first phase of the project, the focus has been on developing the necessary state-of-the-art review to carry out the planned tasks. Then, initial research activities have been performed, mainly with reference to Task 1 and 2. Moreover, the INTEGRATE project has also made a contribution towards the future standardization of the Integrated Sensing and Communications aided by reconfigurable holographic surfaces.
TASK 1 Engineering holographic surfaces: This task develops novel metasurface structures suitable to support joint communication and sensing. Novel models for holographic surfaces will be developed and green metasurfaces for joint communication and sensing will be engineered.
Task 2 Transmission techniques and protocols: this task is focused on the design of joint communication and sensing networks. New fundamental performance limits will be derived, optimal waveform design and practical radio resource allocation for holographic-based integrated communication and sensing networks will be developed. Moreover, a novel software platform interface for automatic holographic surface control for joint communication and sensing network will be developed.
Task 3 Network-level simulator: this task is focused on the development of a new ray tracing module for networks based on holographic surfaces as well as the development of protocols for automatic operation and management of joint communication and sensing networks. All techniques and protocols developed during the project will be integrated into an overall network-level simulator capable of emulating the behavior of large networks supporting integrated communication and sensing.
In this first phase of the project, the focus has been on developing the necessary state-of-the-art review to carry out the planned tasks. Then, initial research activities have been performed, mainly with reference to Task 1 and 2. Moreover, the INTEGRATE project has also made a contribution towards the future standardization of the Integrated Sensing and Communications aided by reconfigurable holographic surfaces.
In this first phase of project activity, most of the effort has been devoted to reviewing the state-of-the-art. Nevertheless, initial results are available. Mainly, the following three scientific articles have been published:
[R.1] R. K. Fotock, A. L. Imoize, A. Zappone, M. Di Renzo, R. Garello, “Secrecy Energy Efficiency Maximization in RIS-Aided Wireless Networks with Statistical CSI”, 2024 IEEE 25th International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances in Wireless Communications (SPAWC), 2025.
[R.2] S. N. Sur, A. K. Singh, H. Q. Tran, P. Vishwakarma, A. L. Imoize, A. Chun-Ta Li, “A State-of-the-Art Survey on IRS-NOMA for Integrated Sensing and Communication”, IEEE Access, 2024.
[R.3] Y. Zhang, K. Mhlope Ziwenjere, A, Walker, T. Chen, M. You, F. Burton, G. Gradoni and G. Zheng, "Smart Wireless Environment Enhanced Telecommunications: An Industrial Review on Network Stabilisation," in IEEE Network, doi: 10.1109/MNET.2024.3484573.
In addition, INTEGRATE made a first contribution to the standardization process of integrated communication and sensing through the following document accepted by the ETSI Industry specification group on Integrated Communication and Sensing
[R.4] ISC(24)000171 “Use Case on Enhanced Network Performance and Efficient Use of Resources via-Sensing Aided Communication” (BT, InterDigital and Apple), available at https://docbox.etsi.org/ISG/ISC/Open(opens in new window)
[R.1] R. K. Fotock, A. L. Imoize, A. Zappone, M. Di Renzo, R. Garello, “Secrecy Energy Efficiency Maximization in RIS-Aided Wireless Networks with Statistical CSI”, 2024 IEEE 25th International Workshop on Signal Processing Advances in Wireless Communications (SPAWC), 2025.
[R.2] S. N. Sur, A. K. Singh, H. Q. Tran, P. Vishwakarma, A. L. Imoize, A. Chun-Ta Li, “A State-of-the-Art Survey on IRS-NOMA for Integrated Sensing and Communication”, IEEE Access, 2024.
[R.3] Y. Zhang, K. Mhlope Ziwenjere, A, Walker, T. Chen, M. You, F. Burton, G. Gradoni and G. Zheng, "Smart Wireless Environment Enhanced Telecommunications: An Industrial Review on Network Stabilisation," in IEEE Network, doi: 10.1109/MNET.2024.3484573.
In addition, INTEGRATE made a first contribution to the standardization process of integrated communication and sensing through the following document accepted by the ETSI Industry specification group on Integrated Communication and Sensing
[R.4] ISC(24)000171 “Use Case on Enhanced Network Performance and Efficient Use of Resources via-Sensing Aided Communication” (BT, InterDigital and Apple), available at https://docbox.etsi.org/ISG/ISC/Open(opens in new window)