Integrated Sensing and Communication Channel Modeling: A Survey

TL;DR

This paper addresses the need for rigorous ISAC channel modeling by surveying both radar-specific and traditional communication channel models across active and passive sensing modes. It systematically reviews deterministic and statistical target RCS modeling, as well as clutter RCS modeling, and discusses how these components enter ISAC channel representations. The work highlights methodological tradeoffs, measurement needs, and emerging directions such as cooperative sensing and application-specific modeling (localization, imaging, gesture recognition). The resulting framework provides a foundational guide for evaluating and optimizing ISAC systems in future 6G networks. Overall, the article clarifies how radar and communication channels can be integrated into unified ISAC models to support high-precision sensing and high-rate communication.

Abstract

Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is expected to play a crucial role in the sixth-generation (6G) mobile communication systems, offering potential applications in the scenarios of intelligent transportation, smart factories, etc. The performance of radar sensing in ISAC systems is closely related to the characteristics of radar sensing and communication channels. Therefore, ISAC channel modeling serves as a fundamental cornerstone for evaluating and optimizing ISAC systems. This article provides a comprehensive survey on the ISAC channel modeling methods. Furthermore, the methods of target radar cross section (RCS) modeling and clutter RCS modeling are summarized. Finally, we discuss the future research trends related to ISAC channel modeling in various scenarios.

Figures (16)

• Figure 1: Application scenarios of ISAC systems.
• Figure 2: The structure of this article.
• Figure 3: ISAC channel of active sensing.
• Figure 4: ISAC channel of passive sensing.
• Figure 5: Deterministic modeling methods of target RCS herda2020radar.