Stochastic 3-D Foliage Modeling at 80 GHz: Experimental Validation and Ray-Tracing Simulations

A stochastic modeling methodology for 3-D foliage is presented, aimed at enhancing ray-tracing simulations. The model supports adjustable stochastic geometry, density, and shape to capture variability in foliage structures. The model is validated through experimental measurements of representative vegetation. The influence of foliage density and size on path loss and root mean square delay spread is analyzed to demonstrate the applicability of the model in the 80 GHz frequency band.

Angularly-Resolved 3D Foliage Modeling and Measurements at 60 and 80 GHz: From Stochastic Geometry to Deterministic Channel Characterization

In this paper, we show a stochastic approach to generate a 3D model of a foliage, which is then used for deterministic ray-tracing channel modeling. This approach is verified by a measurement campaign at 60 and 80 GHz with 2 GHz bandwidth. The wireless channel is characterized by path-loss and RMS delay spread and we show the angular dependency of those parameters when the receiver is placed on a half-circle around the tree. Besides electromagnetic material properties, the 3D model is characterized by several interpretable parameters, including tree volume, leaf size, leaf density, and the tree crown shape parameter.

Vehicle-to-Vehicle Millimeter-Wave Channel Characterization at 60 and 80 GHz

This paper presents results from a vehicle-to-vehicle channel measurement campaign conducted in the millimeter-wave (MMW) frequency bands at center frequencies of 60GHz and 80GHz, each with a bandwidth of 2GHz. The measurements were performed in a dynamic oncoming-vehicle scenario using a time-domain channel sounder with high-resolution data acquisition. Power delay profiles were extracted to study the temporal evolution of multipath components, and the root mean square (RMS) delay spread was analyzed to characterize the temporal dispersion of the channel. The results demonstrate differences between the two frequency bands. At 60GHz, the RMS delay spread is well approximated by a Gaussian distribution with a higher median value, while at 80GHz it follows a lognormal distribution with a lower median. Furthermore, the number of resolvable multipath components was found to be nearly twice as high at 60\,GHz compared to 80GHz, highlighting the impact of antenna beamwidth and frequency-dependent propagation mechanisms.

RIS Nearfield Position and Velocity Estimation Using a Validated Propagation Model

We investigate reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) for the task of position and velocity estimation in non-LOS (NLOS) indoor scenarios, using a snapshot based multi-step estimation algorithm. We evaluate a compound RIS structure prototype composed of four RIS tiles with 1-bit phase control per RIS unit cell. Numerical simulation results taking the antenna patterns into account are presented for an 3 m x 3 m area of interest. We demonstrate that the initial grid search step using the far field assumption is not robust enough for small distances to the RIS center and propose a more robust algorithm. Furthermore, we show that the effect of the antenna pattern causes an increased position and velocity error. Our modified three-step algorithm achieves a position error of 7 mm and a velocity error of 0.12 m/s at a distance of 2 m to the RIS center under a realistic numerical propagation model.

Time-Varying Rician K-factor in Measured Vehicular Channels at cmWave and mmWave Bands

Future vehicular communication systems will integrate millimeter wave (mmWave) technology to enhance data transmission rates. To investigate the propagation effects and small-scale fading differences between mmWave and conventional centimeter wave (cmWave) bands, multi-band channel measurements have to be conducted. One key parameter to characterize small-scale fading is the Rician K-factor. In this paper, we analyze the time-varying K-factor of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) channels across multiple frequency bands, measured in an urban street environment. Specifically, we investigate three frequency bands with center frequencies of 3.2 GHz, 34.3 GHz and 62.35 GHz using measurement data with 155.5 MHz bandwidth and a sounding repetition rate of 31.25 μs. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between K-factor and root-mean-square (RMS) delay spread. We show that the Ricean K-factor is similar at different frequency bands and that is correlated with the RMS delay spread.

Ray Tracing Algorithm for Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

Ray tracing accelerated with graphics processing units (GPUs) is an accurate and efficient simulation technique of wireless communication channels. In this paper, we extend a GPU-accelerated ray tracer (RT) to support the effects of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). To evaluate the electric field, we derived a RIS path loss model that can be integrated into a RT and enables further extensions for the implementation of additional features and incorporation into complex reflective scenarios. We verify the derivation and implementation of our model by comparison with empirical measurements in a lab environment. We demonstrate the capabilities of our model to support higher-order reflections from the RIS to the receiver. We find that such components have a significant effect on the received signal strength, concluding that the extensions of advanced functionality enabled by our model play an important role in the accurate modeling of radio wave propagation in an environment including RISs.

Methodologies for Future Vehicular Digital Twins

The role of wireless communications in various domains of intelligent transportation systems is significant; it is evident that dependable message exchange between nodes (cars, bikes, pedestrians, infrastructure, etc.) has to be guaranteed to fulfill the stringent requirements for future transportation systems. A precise site-specific digital twin is seen as a key enabler for the cost-effective development and validation of future vehicular communication systems. Furthermore, achieving a realistic digital twin for dependable wireless communications requires accurate measurement, modeling, and emulation of wireless communication channels. However, contemporary approaches in these domains are not efficient enough to satisfy the foreseen needs. In this position paper, we overview the current solutions, indicate their limitations, and discuss the most prospective paths for future investigation.

Channel Estimation for mmWave MIMO using sub-6 GHz Out-of-Band Information

Future wireless multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems will employ sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency bands working cooperatively. Establishing a MIMO communication link usually relies on estimating channel state information (CSI) which is difficult to acquire at mmWave frequencies due to a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In this paper, we propose three novel methods to estimate mmWave MIMO channels using out-of-band information obtained from the sub-6GHz band. We compare the proposed channel estimation methods with a conventional one utilizing only in-band information. Simulation results show that the proposed methods outperform the conventional mmWave channel estimation method in terms of achievable spectral efficiency, especially at low SNR and high K-factor.

Active Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for the Millimeter-Wave Frequency Band: System Design and Measurement

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) will play a key role to establish millimeter wave (mmWave) ultra-reliable low-latency communication systems for sixth-generation (6G) applications. Currently, there are a few working prototypes of RISs operating in the mmWave frequency band and all of them are based on passive reflective elements. However, to fabricate an efficiently working RIS at mmWave frequencies, it is crucial to take care of the strong signal attenuation, reflective element losses and undesired radio frequency (RF) circuit effects. In this paper, we provide measurement campaign results for an active RIS in the mmWave frequency band as well as its analysis and system design. The obtained results demonstrate that an active RIS outperforms a RIS working in passive mode and provides a higher signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR). The active RIS consists of active reflective elements that amplify the impinging signal and reflect the signal to the desired beam direction. To obtain an efficient RIS in terms of power consumption and RIS state switch time, we design a hexagonal RIS with 37 elements working at 26 GHz. These elements are designed to work whether in passive state (binary phase shifting) or in active state (switch OFF or amplifying). We provide a comparison between the performance of a RIS working in passive and active mode using numerical simulations and empirical measurements. This comparison reveals that the active reflective intelligent surface (RIS) provides a received power that is at least 4 dB higher than that of the equivalent passive RIS. These results demonstrate the strong advantage of using active RISs for future ultra-reliable low-latency wireless communications.

Frame Error Rate Prediction for Non-Stationary Wireless Vehicular Communication Links

Wireless vehicular communication will increase the safety of road users. The reliability of vehicular communication links is of high importance as links with low reliability may diminish the advantage of having situational traffic information. The goal of our investigation is to obtain a reliable coverage area for non-stationary vehicular scenarios. Therefore we propose a deep neural network (DNN) for predicting the expected frame error rate (FER). The DNN is trained in a supervised fashion, where a time-limited sequence of channel frequency responses has been labeled with its corresponding FER values assuming an underlying wireless communication system, i.e. IEEE 802.11p. For generating the training dataset we use a geometry-based stochastic channel model (GSCM). We obtain the ground truth FER by emulating the time-varying frequency responses using a hardware-in-the-loop setup. Our GSCM provides the propagation path parameters which we use to fix the statistics of the fading process at one point in space for an arbitrary amount of time, enabling accurate FER estimation. Using this dataset we achieve an accuracy of 85% of the DNN. We use the trained model to predict the FER for measured time-varying channel transfer functions obtained during a measurement campaign. We compare the predicted output of the DNN to the measured FER on the road and obtain a prediction accuracy of 78%.