Project description
Transforming wireless channels for future networks
The leap to 6G networks demands groundbreaking approaches to meet the unprecedented demands for integrating ultra-efficient communication with advanced sensing capabilities. Current wireless systems and waveforms cannot handle the required improvements in spectral efficiency and sensing capabilities. The ERC-funded FUNDOCS project will work with, rather than against, the natural behaviours of wireless signals – delay and Doppler effects. The proposed approach will use delay-Doppler waveforms that can adapt to these signal changes. These waveforms are also compatible with multiple-input multiple-output wireless technology – key to enhancing communications technology. FUNDOCS aims to create a next-generation waveform that meets 6G standards while also enabling new possibilities such as environmental imaging.
Objective
Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) is listed as one of the six primary usage scenarios in the forthcoming 6th Generation (6G) network. However, the current wireless infrastructures are far away from meeting the 6G key performance indicators (KPIs) of both sensing and communications. 6G requires a 1.5 to 3 times growth in spectral efficiency compared to 5G, and significant improvements in sensing ability. These stringent requirements cannot be met by the current physical-layer waveform.
FUNDOCS advocates a novel “propagation-centric” approach to design waveforms for communications and sensing, embracing instead of combating the wireless channel dynamics by exploiting the most fundamental elements of wireless channels, i.e. delay and Doppler. This leads to the adoption of delay-Doppler (DD) waveforms that are invariant to channel distortions from delay and Doppler but are sensitive to time and frequency shifts. Thus, DD waveforms are naturally suitable for both communications and sensing. Furthermore, DD waveforms show strong compatibility with multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmissions and non-orthogonal signaling, which are key technologies to enhance communication efficiency. However, the current state-of-the-art is far from practical implementation due to the lack of knowledge in DD signal processing, channel exploitation, bandwidth-efficient transmissions, and theoretical performance analysis.
This project is developed to establish both theoretical and algorithmic foundations for DD communications and sensing. To ensure the project completion, the PI will investigate these foundational problems via a two-step methodology, which prioritizes the DD channel exploitation for theoretical understanding and considers practical constraints for algorithmic implementation. Our overarching goal is to develop a next-generation physical-layer waveform that not only meets 6G KPIs but also advances beyond sensing to environmental imaging.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project's classification has been human-validated.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
10623 Berlin
Germany
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