RIS 6G 2022 : Special Issue: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for 6G Wireless Communication

Dear Colleagues,

Future wireless systems (i.e., 6G) are rapidly evolving toward a software-based functionality paradigm, where every part of the device hardware can adapt to changes in the environment. Beamforming-enabled antennas, cognitive spectrum usage, and adaptive modulation and encoding are but a few examples of the aspects of devices that can now be tuned to optimize communication efficiency. In this optimization process, however, the wireless environment, i.e, the medium or channel, remains an uncontrollable factor and, often, an impediment to be reckoned with. Apart from being uncontrollable, the environment has a generally negative effect on the accuracy and flexibility of sensors. Signal deterioration is perhaps the major consideration in forthcoming sensing systems.

Recently, the breakthrough in fabrication of programmable meta-material based intelligent surfaces has made the intelligent control of transmission environment between sensors and receivers possible via software with the advancements of low cost, high energy efficiency, etc. The wireless future that can be envisioned using this technology consists of coating every environmental object with manmade intelligent surfaces of electromagnetic material (software-defined reconfigurable metasurfaces) that are electronically controlled using integrated electronics and wireless communications. In contrast to any other technology currently being used in sensing networks, the distinctive characteristic of the RISs consists of making the environment fully controllable using telecommunication operators by allowing them to shape and control the electromagnetic response of the objects distributed throughout the network.

Keywords：

reconfigurable intelligent surface
sensors
compressive sensing
deep learning
sensor data acquisition

Dr. Chongwen Huang
Dr. Fan Jiang
Dr. Wei Li
Dr. Xiong Kai
Guest Editors