The demands on wireless services have steadily increased in recent years and do not only comprise communication related metrics, such as improved data rates, reliability, and resilience, but also sensing metrics, including sensing accuracy and probability of detection. The conventional approach to cope with more stringent requirements has been to increase the antenna array size. However, this also comes with some challenges such as increased cost, hardware and signal processing complexity, and energy consumption. An alternative approach that has emerged recently is to make the antenna elements “flexible”, i.e., movable and potentially rotatable. Depending on the underlying technology and degree of flexibility, movable antennas, six-dimensional movable, and pinching antennas are distinguished.
In this talk, we will review the main classes of flexible antenna systems, elaborate on their respective advantages and disadvantages, and highlight their potential performance gains compared to conventional fixed-antenna systems. We will also outline related challenges that merit future research.
The demands on wireless services have steadily increased in recent years and do not only comprise communication related metrics, such as improved data rates, reliability, and resilience, but also sensing metrics, including sensing accuracy and probability of detection. The conventional approach to cope with more stringent requirements has been to increase the antenna array size. However, this also comes with some challenges such as increased cost, hardware and signal processing complexity, and energy consumption. An alternative approach that has emerged recently is to make the antenna elements “flexible”, i.e., movable and potentially rotatable. Depending on the underlying technology and degree of flexibility, movable antennas, six-dimensional movable, and pinching antennas are distinguished.
In this talk, we will review the main classes of flexible antenna systems, elaborate on their respective advantages and disadvantages, and highlight their potential performance gains compared to conventional fixed-antenna systems. We will also outline related challenges that merit future research.