Unleashing the Power of 5G and 6G Technologies for Localization and Sensing

Mm-wave and massive MIMO technologies are some of the elements that have enabled the improvement of the communication capacity and reliability, and the reduction of the latency in 5G systems. These technologies have also made possible the advent of new positioning solutions characterized by very high accuracy, provision of orientation information, and inclusion of sensing capabilities, with reduced network-side infrastructure. The term “5G Localization” was coined to encompass this class of solutions, which have already impacted the standardization process. Elements considered in the ongoing research towards 6G systems, such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), are also showing large potential for localization, as they extend the position availability to problems that were previously unfeasible. In the first part of the talk, we will analyze some specificities of 5G localization beyond legacy cellular localization solutions, such as single base-station and carrier-phase positioning, and 6D problems. The second part of the talk will address how the presence of different types of RIS (passive, hybrid, STAR, etc.), and radio stripes can be exploited for localization and sensing when they operate in the near and far fields.