Low-altitude networks integrate sensing communication and identification
Integrated sensing, communications, and identification for low-altitude economy
Information Theory
Summary
Low-altitude airspace is becoming busier, so networks there need to handle communication, sensing, and tracking of aircraft to keep things safe and efficient. The paper reviews how these functions can be combined into one system, called integrated sensing, communications, and identification (ISCAI). It explains common designs and introduces a new system using backscatter communication to let aircraft broadcast ID signals like electronic license plates. The authors also discuss ways to improve these systems using smart technologies and new signal designs.
What this means in practice
- •For air traffic management teams: Develop integrated networks that combine communication, sensing, and ID to improve safety and efficiency of low-altitude airspace operations.
- •For drone fleet operators: Use backscatter-based electronic license plates for reliable drone identification and tracking within crowded low-altitude environments.$Commercial implications: Enables sale of identification and tracking systems that enhance drone operation safety and regulatory compliance.
A survey. It maps existing work.
Authors
Shanxing Zeng, Jun Wang, Ying-Chang Liang
Abstract
With the rapid development of low-altitude economy (LAE), low-altitude information networks (LAINs) must provide reliable communication, environmental sensing, and target identification to support efficient and safe airspace operation. Although integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) provides a foundation for the joint design of communication and sensing, identification must also be incorporated to meet airspace safety and regulatory requirements. This paper reviews integrated sensing, communications, and identification (ISCAI) for LAE. We first review low-altitude communication, sensing, and identification approaches and explain how representative applications motivate their integration. We then summarize low-altitude ISAC fundamentals, including system architectures, channel modeling, unified signal models, and performance metrics, followed by communication-centric and sensing-centric designs, resource allocation, and aircraft trajectory optimization. Building on these, we introduce ISCAI, focusing on a backscatter communication (BackCom)-based identification mechanism in which backscatter devices serve as electronic license plates for aircraft. We present system and signal models for integrated sensing and identification (ISAI) and ISCAI, together with multifunctional receiver designs and mutual integration gains. Finally, we discuss open problems and future directions, including an information-theoretic framework, artificial intelligence-empowered system design, and reconfigurable intelligent surface-enhanced ISCAI. This review provides a structured perspective on the evolution of LAINs toward integrated communication, sensing, and identification.