Terahertz Integrated Sensing and Communication-Empowered UAVs in 6G: A Transceiver Design Perspective

TL;DR

This paper explores the design of transceivers for terahertz integrated sensing and communication-enabled UAVs, highlighting key technologies, challenges, and future directions for 6G networks.

Contribution

It systematically analyzes the transceiver design aspects of THz-ISAC-UAVs, including antenna, RF front-end, and signal processing, and discusses innovative solutions like hybrid beamforming and waveform design.

Findings

Revealed channel characteristics for THz-ISAC-UAV communication and sensing.

Identified key transceiver design challenges and solutions.

Outlined future research directions and open problems.

Abstract

Due to their high maneuverability, flexible deployment, and low cost, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are expected to play a pivotal role in not only communication, but also sensing. Especially by exploiting the ultra-wide bandwidth of terahertz (THz) bands, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC)-empowered UAV has been a promising technology of 6G space-air-ground integrated networks. In this article, we systematically investigate the key techniques and essential obstacles for THz-ISAC-empowered UAV from a transceiver design perspective, with the highlight of its major challenges and key technologies. Specifically, we discuss the THz-ISAC-UAV wireless propagation environment, based on which several channel characteristics for communication and sensing are revealed. We point out the transceiver payload design peculiarities for THz-ISAC-UAV from the perspective of antenna design, radio frequency front-end, and baseband signal processing. To deal with the specificities faced by the payload, we shed light on three key technologies, i.e., hybrid beamforming for ultra-massive MIMO-ISAC, power-efficient THz-ISAC waveform design, as well as communication and sensing channel state information acquisition, and extensively elaborate their concepts and key issues. More importantly, future research directions and associated open problems are presented, which may unleash the full potential of THz-ISAC-UAV for 6G wireless networks.