Integration of Radar-based Communication in Heterogeneous Vehicular Networks for Cooperatively Interacting Cars (RADCOM-HETNET)

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Falko Dressler; Professor Dr.-Ing. Norman Franchi; Professor Dr.-Ing. Robert Weigel
• Subject Area: Communication Technology and Networks, High-Frequency Technology and Photonic Systems, Signal Processing and Machine Learning for Information Technology
• Term: since 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390837865

Cooperative interacting vehicles require mutual coordination and communication between traffic participants, e.g., for realizing cooperative awareness and cooperative trajectory and maneuver planning. As a basis, the IEEE 802.11p communication protocol has been standardized. A fundamental problem for several applications, however, is the shared use of the radio channel (or even multiple radio channels) for a multitude of applications. It has been shown in the literature that the use of shared radio channels for safety-relevant and real-time applications is a problematic issue. We address this problem using platooning and intersection management as sample applications in our proposal. In consequence, new methods are required for realizing time-critical cooperative interaction between vehicles relying on the real-time exchange of sensor information across several vehicles using a secure channel. Furthermore, this communication channel needs to be realized in a technologically attractive way. In the scope of the proposed research project RADCOM-HETNET we address this challenge by using automotive radar sensors as available in todays vehicles for simultaneous ranging and communication (RADCOM). We particularly focus on the realization of a reliable channel that supports real-time communication. Here, we use the properties of novel spread-spectrum radar systems operating in the 77-81 GHz automotive radar frequency bands. These radar systems are very attractive for automotive applications from a technological viewpoint and offer the potential for simultaneous data transmission. In the framework of an interdisciplinary and integrative approach, we examine the communication-theoretic and technological realization of such a RADCOM system, its integration into a heterogeneous vehicular network (HETNET), as well as the cooperative interaction of vehicles based on the RADCOM-HETNET approach for the application scenarios platooning and intersection management. Our novel heterogeneous approach allows to exploit synergies between the complementary communication technologies and hence to efficiently address the challenges of network monitoring, user synchronization, and vehicle coordination.In the proposed research project, we start by realizing a holistic, modular, and integrative simulation environment, allowing to continuously evaluating the influence of each module, even down to the influence of the automotive radar antennas and electromagnetic propagation, onto the overall system and the addressed applications platooning and intersection management during the project duration. Based on this simulation environment, we then investigate and research the sub-modules necessary for enabling RADCOM, for its integration into a heterogeneous inter-vehicle communication network, and for implementing novel cooperative vehicular interaction based on RADCOM-HETNETs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants