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Clutter-Resilient ISAC for Low-Altitude Wireless Networks: A 5G Base Station-Compatible Protocol, Waveform, and Prototype

Jie Wang, Zhen Du, Ying Wang, Weijie Yuan, Fan Liu, Xingdong Liang, Yong Zeng

Abstract

Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) has been envisioned as a promising solution to support emerging services in low-altitude wireless networks (LAWNs), where upgrading 5G ground base stations (GBS) toward new active sensing systems with wide coverage, low cost, high accuracy, and favorable spectrum compatibility, is strongly desired. However, such an evolution faces several critical challenges, particularly in the detection and tracking of weak and slow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These challenges include ISAC waveform design, clutter cancellation resilient to high clutter-to-noise ratios (CNRs), and efficient Doppler separation between UAVs and clutter. To that end, we summarize potential solutions and raise a comprehensive framework on implementing the 5Gadvanced (5G-A) GBS. Outfield experiments demonstrate that the developed 5G-A GBS can effectively track weak and slow targets at distances exceeding 1 kilometer, while incurring only a 1.2% downlink rate loss relative to commercial 5G-A GBS.

Clutter-Resilient ISAC for Low-Altitude Wireless Networks: A 5G Base Station-Compatible Protocol, Waveform, and Prototype

Abstract

Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) has been envisioned as a promising solution to support emerging services in low-altitude wireless networks (LAWNs), where upgrading 5G ground base stations (GBS) toward new active sensing systems with wide coverage, low cost, high accuracy, and favorable spectrum compatibility, is strongly desired. However, such an evolution faces several critical challenges, particularly in the detection and tracking of weak and slow unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These challenges include ISAC waveform design, clutter cancellation resilient to high clutter-to-noise ratios (CNRs), and efficient Doppler separation between UAVs and clutter. To that end, we summarize potential solutions and raise a comprehensive framework on implementing the 5Gadvanced (5G-A) GBS. Outfield experiments demonstrate that the developed 5G-A GBS can effectively track weak and slow targets at distances exceeding 1 kilometer, while incurring only a 1.2% downlink rate loss relative to commercial 5G-A GBS.
Paper Structure (22 sections, 1 equation, 4 figures)

This paper contains 22 sections, 1 equation, 4 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Low-Altitude Wireless Networks: Vision and Requirements
  3. Why Does 5G-A GBS Need ISAC in LAWNs?
  4. Technical Challenges
  5. Air-Interface and Waveform Layer: Embedding Sensing Signals under NR Protocol Constraints
  6. Physical Environment Layer: Ground Clutter and System Impairments
  7. Signal Processing Layer: Reliable Detection and Tracking of Weak and Slow Targets
  8. Potential Solutions
  9. Air-Interface and Waveform-Level Solutions
  10. Clutter Cancellation Solutions
  11. Signal Processing Solutions for Weak and Slow Targets
  12. Prototype Implementation and Experiments
  13. A Systematic Framework
  14. Prototype Architecture
  15. ISAC Configuration
  16. ...and 7 more sections

Figures (4)

  • Figure 1: Overview of ISAC-empowered 5G-A services for LAWNs, where a single cellular infrastructure with two modes (wide beamwidth at sub-6 GHz and flexible beam management du2025toward at millimeter wave), can simultaneously support downlink communications and environmental sensing, facilitating UAV perception and other representative low-altitude applications.
  • Figure 2: Clutter suppression through MTI.
  • Figure 3: A systematic framework implementation of ISAC-empowered 5G-A GBS and results.
  • Figure 4: Detection of the weak and slow UAV target.