One major research focus of Barkhausen Institut is the combination of communication and sensing of surroundings. In the 6G-ICAS4Mobility project, the BI is conducting research on topics related to data security, trustworthiness and new concepts on the physical layer in the mobility sector. 

The future of mobility is autonomous, secure and efficient:

Vehicles communicating with each other by radio exchange information about their surroundings in real time and record it simultaneously using sophisticated sensor technology consisting of ultrasound, cameras, lidar and radar. In that way, collisions with each other or with surrounding obstacles can be prevented.

Although radio communication and radar are based on the same physical effect and similar techniques and therefore exhibit numerous synergies, both systems are typically operated independently of each other.

The aim of the BMBF-funded consortium, led by Robert Bosch GmbH, is to combine communication and radar and integrate them into a common system for the future 6G mobile communications standard (ICAS - Integrated Communication and Sensing). The combination of the two technologies will result in advantages such as an increased energy efficiency and a reduction in radiation exposure, among others.

Within three years, four prototypes will be developed for demonstration purposes, ranging from requirements analyses and architectural designs to system integration.

As part of the project, Barkhausen Institut is investigating privacy aspects and options for securing captured sensor data against manipulations. It examines the possibilities for maintaining confidentiality both at the physical wave level and by means of cryptography. In addition, new concepts for combining communication and radar functionality (ICAS) are being developed. In collaboration with cooperation partners, a demonstrator is being created to illustrate the research work.

The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung - BMBF).

Project duration: 2022 - 2025

Contact: M.Sc. Jan Adler (jan.adler@barkhauseninstitut.org), Dr.-Ing. Stefan Köpsell (stefan.koepsell@barkhauseninstitut.org)

Partner: Robert Bosch GmbH, Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, IMST GmbH, NXP Semiconductors Germany GmbH,Universität Ulm, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Rheinland-Pfälzische Technische Universität Kaiserslautern-Landau, TU Ilmenau, Missing Link Electronics GmbH, CiS GmbH,AeroDCS GmbH, Hensold Sensors GmbH, Merantix Momentum (Merantix Labs GmbH), Denso Automotive Deutschland GmbH