Beyond communication services in future networks: 6G-enabled driving assistance through localization and sensing

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) is a promising enabler for the next generation of networks, allowing to utilize the same network infrastructure to perform both communication and radar-like functionality. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how sensing in 6G can be used for intelligent transportation use cases, potentially improving the sustainability and safety awareness of transportation systems. The study includes, among others, performance requirements analysis of sensing signal, building a sensing service model, and analyzing contradicting requirements for communication and sensing. There is no support for sensing in 5G, but is it safe to assume that 6G is going to be built on top of the existing 5G frame structure. Therefore, simulation tests were performed in millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies based on an OFDM waveform and a frame structure similar to 5G with integrated sensing capabilities. The results also showcased potential performance of sensing in terms of positioning error and detection rate and their dependency on input parameters and channel noise. The studied scenario for sensing in urban environment indicates that enabling sub-meter resolution sensing in a 26 GHz channel can take up to 300 MHz of bandwidth with 0.1s refresh rate. The results also showcased less than 0.5% resource overhead for single target sensing.