Beam-based 6G Networked Sensing Architecture for Scalable Road Traffic Monitoring

The provisioning of wireless network-based sensing functionalities in the scope of 6G Joint Communication and Sensing (JCAS) is expected to be a driver for innovations and smart city-enabled services by future networks. Leveraging communication channels to acquire data on activities near network and sensing infrastructure constitutes the first step towards perceptive radio networks. Notably, the use of millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies is promising due to, e.g., inherent directionality and high time resolution boosting the performance of user positioning services constituting a prime example of channel-based sensing.In this work, we propose a novel 6G-aided networked sensing concept, mainly operating in mmWave beam space, and measuring along the inter-cell link, thereby enabling finer spatial sensory activity monitoring by the proposed radio sensing map (RSM) functions in the network. To evaluate the presented 6G-driven concept, we conduct vehicle detection and classification as a simulation-based case study underlining its high feasibility. Finally, we show the suitability of the enhancements offering new service potentials, such as recognizing a passing road user’s trajectory.