Wireless sensing & localisation: technologies and applications

Friday 21 March, 12h00-19h00
@ imec – Leuven

Wireless signals are capable of much more than exchanging (lots of) data between transmitter and receiver. By accurately observing and measuring transmission parameters such as signal strength, evolved phase and transmission time we are able to sense the environment. People and objects can be detected and located. And thanks to recent innovations in (AI-based) signal processing fine-grained information such as (3D) pose estimation, vital sign monitoring and even activity recognition of people have become a reality.

While active (“radar”) sensing has long been a proven technology, we are now observing a rapid increase in applications of passive sensing, based on modelling and classification of signal propagation properties between wireless devices in an indoor or even outdoor environment.
In this workshop we will present recent technological innovations for wireless sensing & localisation, and discuss (emerging) applications.

The programme includes presentations and (live) demos, and is accessible to all enthusiasts in wireless technology.

Topics include a.o.

general principles of active and passive sensing
innovations in sensing with Bluetooth, Wifi and UWB
joint communication and sensing
standardisation activities
wide range of applications

TENTATIVE PROGRAMME

12h00	Registration & sandwich lunch
13h00	Introduction Kris Hermus, Coordinator Wireless Community & Innovation Program Manager Flanders, imec
	PART I – GENERAL PRINCIPLES
13h20	An introduction to integrated wireless sensing and communication (ISAC) Jeroen Famaey, Professor, imec-IDLab-UAntwerp levels of integration in ISAC use cases synergies and trade-offs between sensing and communications possible frequency bands and technologies model- vs. data-driven sensing comparison of different sensing architectures (mono-, bi-, multi-static)
	PART II – TECHNOLOGIES AND STANDARDS
13h40	UWB: a versatile technology for communication, localisation and sensing Eli De Poorter, Professor, imec-IDLab-UGent o This presentation will discuss recent advances on ISAC for UWB. The presentation discusses relevant valorization use cases, and outlines the required research steps that still need to be taken to realize ISAC in commercial deployments.
14h00	Bluetooth Channel Sounding: a breakthrough for centimeter-level ranging and localisation Jac Romme, Principal Member of Technical Staff, imec-NL @ Holst Centre phased-based ranging challenges in multi-path environments standardisation in BLE 6.0 applications
14h20	Data-driven sensing with (mmWave) Wi-Fi signals Jeroen Famaey, Professor, imec-IDLab-UAntwerp overview of Wi-Fi sensing concept (signal features, sensing modalities) data-driven sensing framework challenges (labeled data collection, generalization, power consumption) case study: Gesture recognition and pose estimation using mmWave Wi-Fi
14h40	Openwifi: customized solutions for communication and sensing with Wi-Fi Ingrid Moerman, Professor, imec-IDLab-UGent Imec-IDLab-UGent has established the open-source initiative, openwifi, offering the world’s first free and open Linux-compatible full-stack standard-compliant Wi-Fi implementation. This platform is further extended with unique non/pre-standard features, like Time-Sensitive Networking enablers, channel state information (CSI) based sensing, fuzzing & defuzzing, etc. In the presentation, we will present how the openwifi platform can be used for innovation and customization for private, professional deployments.
15h00	COFFEE BREAK
15h30	GUIDED DEMO TOUR
	Demo 1 – imec-NL @ Holst Centre: centimeter-level ranging with Bluetooth Channel Sounding Demo 2 – KU Leuven: joint communication and sensing Demo 3 – imec-IDLab-UGent: UWB based non-invasive breathing monitoring This demonstration showcases the feasibility to monitor the breathing rate of persons using UWB radar, and discusses the accuracy of low-cost UWB-based breathing detection in various environments using embedded devices. Demo 4 – CrowdScan: sensing crowds with 868 MHz signals Demo 5 – imec-IDLab-UAntwerp: data-driven sensing with COTS mm-Wave Wi-Fi devices Showcasing how the presence of people attenuates Wi-Fi signals, and how this can be leveraged for various types of data-driven sensing using deep learning, including person detection, gesture recognition, and human pose estimation Demo 6 – imec-IDLab-UGent: openwifi Wi-Fi platform for customized joint communication and sensing solutions Live Demo showing the capability of the openwifi Wi-Fi platform for customized JC&S solutions: we will demonstrate that a Wi-Fi communication signal can be operated in radar mode to monitor the visitor’s breath rate in real-time without the need for attaching sensors on the body
	PART III – APPLICATIONS
16h20	Advanced sensing enabling responsive homes Erik Van Mossevelde, Director Corporate Technology, Niko n.v. In this presentation, we will explore how new sensor technologies are transforming residential living. We will explain the integration of smart sensors monitoring environmental conditions, energy usage, and occupant behavior to create adaptive, personalized living spaces. We will illustrate how these advancements enhance comfort, efficiency, and sustainability in modern homes. Join us to discover the future of responsive living through advanced sensing technologies.
16h40	Secure and reliable detection and localisation of people for gate automation Tom Boschman, R&D Manager Electronics, Locinox …
17h00	Passive sensing in the 868 MHz band for crowd density estimation and vehicle detection Ben Bellekens, Co-Founder & CTO, CrowdScan Abstract comes here …
	PART IV – FUTURE DIRECTIONS
17h20	The road towards 6G: massive integrated communication and sensing (TBC) Sofie Pollin, Professor, KU Leuven and imec near-field sensing massive MIMO localisation respiration sensing
17h40	Plenary Q&A session
17h50	Networking reception
19h30	End of the workshop

REGISTRATION

Registration-fees:

Imec employees and residents: free of charge
Employees of Wireless Community members: free of charge
Others:
- 125 EUR (excl VAT) early bird until March 14
- 150 EUR (excl VAT) late registration from March 15

Please fill in your details in this Event Registration Form below and you will be automatically registered.
A few days prior to the event you will receive a confirmation email with all practical details.

Please contact us at wireless-community@imec.be