Millimeter-wave Networking and Sensing for Beyond 5G

Project Information

MINTS

Grant agreement ID: 861222

DOI

10.3030/861222

Project closed

EC signature date 12 August 2019

Start date 1 November 2019

End date 30 April 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 3 882 637,36

EU contribution

€ 3 882 637,36

Coordinated by

KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MINTS (Millimeter-wave Networking and Sensing for Beyond 5G)

Reporting period: 2021-11-01 to 2024-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The global telecommunications market has become tremendously competitive due to the saturation of traditional products (e.g. mobile broadband). However, new markets such as industry 4.0 and autonomous driving demand extremely high data rates which can only be provided at mmWave frequencies. To successfully overcome mmWave challenges, a closely integrated, skilled and multidisciplinary team was formed to co-create innovative technology and applications. The ETN for Millimeter-wave NeTworking and Sensing for Beyond 5G (MINTS) offered the first training program on mmWave networks that covered the full stack from physical layer to application.

The context and overall objectives for the MINTS projects relate to making mmWave sensing and networking feasible by overcoming path-loss limitations by exploiting dense deployments. The potential of mmWave technology for future mobile networks led to a significant investment in research and also motivated the European Commission to recommend opening up parts of the mmWave spectrum for broadband services. This is not only important for ubiquitous mobile broadband services, but is a key requirement for the forthcoming industry 4.0 vehicle-to-everything, augmented reality and similar new applications.

The primary goal of MINTS was to train ESRs to co-create the required mmWave algorithms and protocols together with the novel use cases mmWave technology is supposed to enable. Specifically, providing continuous and reliable connectivity in extremely dense and highly mobile scenarios has been an open challenge, and understanding how to tune an mmWave network towards a specific future application with its particular mix of throughput, latency and resilience requirements is still in its infancy. The high diversity of the requirements of different application scenarios (in terms of latency, mobility, resilience, etc.), together with new sensing capabilities, call for adaptive and tailored network solutions rather than use case-agnostic one-size-fits-all designs. Therefore, the overall aim of MINTS was to provide a concerted effort to:

1) building up a highly skilled labour force in the mmWave technology sector;
2) mitigating the impact of network dynamics and density on the performance and resilience of mmWave networks; and
3) advancing mmWave technology in order to leverage it in emerging EU and international markets.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

MINTS has researched how to enhance communication reliability using digital beamforming, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), dual beam antennas, and detailed channel analysis. The major achievements include 1) a new way to embed long-range wireless control information for passive reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, 2) analysis of mmWave interaction with large building facades through a dedicated measurement campaign and ray tracing, 3) demonstration of the practical influence of a prototype RIS on the mmWave channel at the multipath component level, 4) completion of dual-beam antenna prototype and mmWave testbed, and 5) Machine learning-based beamforming strategies for mmW systems.

MINTS has exploited mmWave signals for environmental sensing. Key achievements include designing radio location mechanisms and algorithms to facilitate distributed sensing applications using mmWave radar networks, developing a neural network model for localizing mmWave radio terminals, and conducting experimental validations on real hardware in laboratory settings.

MINTS has also produced significant contributions addressing ultra-dense deployments, improved communication resiliency, and enhanced security in mmWave networks. The ns-3 IEEE 802.11ay module has been developed. Algorithms for user assignment in cell-free networks were created, and human blockage with guard beams was addressed. A RIS prototype was built and tested, demonstrating improved urban wireless coverage. Channel models and frameworks for resilient mmWave and THz communications were developed. BeamSec, a security scheme to minimize information leakage in mmWave systems, was designed.

Besides, MITNS has exploited how to apply innovative mmWave technology in industry 4.0 vehicular, and AR/XR applications. The main achievements are: leveraged beam tracking to enhance mmWave link reliability; characterized industrial mmWave channels and proposed new beamforming architectures; researched the impact of faulty elements in RIS and proposed optimization solutions; addressed wireless mmWave XR HMDs, conducted measurements, and proposed dynamic beamforming solutions.

Regarding Exploitation and Dissemination, MINTS has successfully disseminated its findings through various channels: 42 papers have been published at conferences in the research field, such as ICC, Globecom, CoNEXT, MobiSys, WoWMoM, SECON, etc.; ten additional journal papers have been published by IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, IEEE Transaction on Communications, among others; more than ten papers are currently under submission. Besides, nine patents have been filed to further exploit the research outcomes of MINTS, covering innovations in RIS and mmWave communication systems. The researchers in MINTS have organized or been engaged in extensive outreach activities, including a summer school, Science is Wonderful. The Galileo XR, an exciting introduction to the scientific method for children of various ages, even made it to the top 3 out of 100 proposals for the “Science is Wonderful!” competition! A follow-up project 6thSense, researching joint communication and sensing for 6G, has been funded through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Networks.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The MINTS project has made significant progress beyond the state of the art in mmWave networking and sensing. By developing novel machine learning-based strategies for beamforming, MINTS has enhanced the beamforming and channel estimation of mmWave systems, significantly reducing channel feedback overhead and improving efficiency in dynamic environments. Going beyond the state of the art, MINTS has demonstrated the practical impact of RIS on mmWave channels, enhancing signal power and coverage in challenging urban environments, and investigated the effects of faulty RIS elements and proposed mitigation techniques​​. Beyond solely communication or sensing, MINTS also integrated communication and sensing capabilities in mmWave systems, enhancing the performance of applications such as AR/XR and industrial automation. Additionally, MINTS made two notable open-source contributions to the popular ns-3 network simulation tool.

The advancements made by MITNS have significant socio-economic implications in several applications: for Industry 4.0 the enhanced reliability and efficiency in industrial mmWave communication systems can support the transition to smarter, more connected manufacturing environments; the improved safety and performance of vehicular networks through robust beamforming and RIS technologies can push forward the deployment of autonomous vehicles; the enabled high-throughput, low-latency communication for AR/XR can drive innovation in entertainment, education, and remote collaboration. MINTS has wider societal implications. It contributes to societal goals by promoting sustainable technology development through efficient use of the mmWave spectrum, enhancing digital inclusion by improving wireless communication infrastructure, and supporting the growth of the European research community and industry.

MINTS Consortium