Hardware-aware Integrated Localization and Sensing for Communication Systems

Research Project, 2023 – 2026

6G system concepts are now being envisioned. These systems are characterized by two important trends: the support for high-rate communications and the tighter integration among communication, localization and sensing functions. Localization and sensing are more sensitive to hardware impairments than communication and should thus be studied in depth before they can be used in 6G. The goal of the HAILS project (Hardware-aware Integrated Localization and Sensing for Communication Systems) is to make radio localization and sensing hardware-aware, through the development of dedicated models, novel localization and sensing methods, and performance analysis tools. Experimental data will also be used to guide iterative model development. The project is a unique collaboration among researchers with backgrounds in algorithms, circuits, and hardware impairments. The work addresses the need for localization and sensing to account for hardware impairments, in order to bridge the large gap between theory (often showing mm-level localization performance) and practice (when sub-meter accuracy is hard to achieve).  The main outcomes will be (i) the extension of conventional models to account for hardware impairment, in a way that is both realistic but also tractable; (ii) a set of novel methods based on signal processing, optimization theory, and machine learning, as well as novel performance bounds, to mitigate and understand the impact of hardware impairments.