Millimeter Wave MIMO Communication and Localization Systems
Summary
Millimetre wave (mmWave) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems exploit frequencies roughly between 30 GHz and 300 GHz, combining large available bandwidths with dense antenna arrays to deliver ultra-high data rates and fine-grained spatial resolution. Narrow beams formed by hybrid or fully digital beamforming compensate for the intrinsically high free-space path loss, while spatial multiplexing enables simultaneous transmission of multiple data streams. These characteristics make mmWave MIMO highly attractive for next-generation wireless access, vehicular networks and indoor connectivity. Beyond pure communication, the wide bandwidths and directive beams also facilitate precise position estimation and mapping, giving rise to joint localisation and communication frameworks. In such systems, channel parameters—principally angles and delays of multipath components—serve as implicit measurements of user or object location. Advanced signal processing algorithms, often based on Kalman filtering, Bayesian inference or simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM), recover both communication channels and spatial coordinates. Key challenges include rapid beam alignment in dynamic scenarios, robustness to blockage and hardware impairments, and efficient acquisition of high-dimensional channel state information. Practical applications range from augmented and virtual reality systems requiring centimetre-level accuracy, through autonomous vehicle navigation, to industrial Internet of Things deployments in cluttered environments. Ongoing research seeks to integrate reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, machine-learning-driven beam management and multi-cell cooperation to further enhance performance and resilience.
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Millimeter Wave MIMO Communication and Localization Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in millimeter wave mimo communication and localization systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Millimetre wave (mmWave): Radio frequencies between 30 GHz and 300 GHz, offering large bandwidths at the cost of higher propagation loss.
Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO): Use of multiple antennas at transmitter and receiver to increase capacity and spatial diversity.
Beamforming: Technique that shapes the radiation pattern of an antenna array to concentrate energy in desired directions.
Simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM): Algorithmic framework that jointly estimates an agent’s trajectory and the surrounding environment.
Angle-of-arrival (AoA): The direction from which a received signal component arrives at the antenna array.
Time-of-arrival (ToA): The time delay between signal transmission and reception, used to infer distance.
References
- Millimeter-Wave Radio SLAM: End-to-End Processing Methods and Experimental Validation. IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (2024).
- Orientation and Location Tracking of XR Devices: 5G Carrier Phase-Based Methods. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing (2023).
- Location-based on beam tracking method predicted using GP in UAV-supported systems. ICT Express (2024).
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