Publicly funded research project “6G-ICAS4Mobility”
Networked and autonomous vehicles will shape our mobility and traffic in the long term. To do this, vehicles – whether on the road, in the air or in a factory building – must be able to exchange data quickly and reliably with one another and with their surroundings. Various sensors such as radars play a crucial role in this. Vehicles can “see” with sensors and recognize their surroundings. They help to avoid collisions, for example. Sensors are essential for the autonomous operation of vehicles in particular. To date, communication and sensor systems in vehicles have generally run independently of one another. And this despite the fact that they have a lot in common, for example in terms of signal processing or system architecture.
| 6G research is picking up speed worldwide. The German federal government alone is funding such activities with around 700 million euros up to 2025; another 900 million euros are planned in the EU budget for the period from 2021 to 2027. Similarly, there are huge investment programs in other regions of the world, above all in the USA, Japan, South Korea and China. This reflects, among other things, the geopolitical importance of 6G and the expected importance of technological sovereignty. Experts assume that the first 6G standard will be completed around 2028. |
Bosch enters the series development of lidar sensors
The aim of the “6G-ICAS4Mobility” project is to link the previously separately operated communication and radar systems more closely and to integrate them into a common 6G system. Over the next three years, the project will develop important foundations for the future 6G standard and thus make an important contribution to securing the technological sovereignty of Germany and Europe. Led by consortium leader Bosch, the consortium of universities, automotive suppliers, communications and radar specialists, and drone suppliers has started research work.
In the future, the sensor data flowing in real time from various mobile end devices (e.g. vehicles) will be coordinated and combined via 6G mobile communications in order to create a more precise image of the environment. This can increase traffic safety and increase the efficiency of road use. At the same time, radar functions are also to be integrated directly into future communication modules, which will lead to cost savings and more efficient use of scarce radio resources.
In addition to considering relevant scenarios for road traffic, findings from the project work should also serve as a technical basis for applications in the area of networked drones and in the area of Industry 4.0 (e.g. for driverless transport systems). The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding “6G-ICAS4Mobility” with around ten million euros and thus bears 70 percent of the project costs.
The closer coupling and integration of communication and radar functions (Integrated Communication and Sensing, ICAS) has been the subject of intensive discussion for several years, especially in the academic field. In the project, the practical performance of the technology is to be demonstrated so that it can then be incorporated into the future mobile communications standard.