Joint Radar and Communication for Next-Generation Automotive Applications

Purpose and goal:

The RADCOM2 project aimed to improve vehicular safety and communication by specifying use cases for joint radar-communication (JRC), developing on-vehicle JRC chipsets, and exploring its potential with 5G and beyond. The project delivered models, simulators, and hardware for testing, enabling rapid prototyping and analysis. The results contributed to future automotive safety systems and communication technologies.

Expected results and effects:

The RADCOM2 project provided critical insights into joint communication and sensing hardware design, particularly for D-band applications. The demonstration of the phased array antenna and simulator analysis revealed design tradeoffs and weak links in simulation tools, valuable for future improvements. These findings will aid in future JRC designs and can support 6G standardization and automotive safety innovations.

Approach and implementation:

The project leveraged industry expertise to produce relevant use cases for joint sensing and communication, though truck-specific scenarios were dropped due to a partner´s exit. Despite challenges with D-band hardware, a working lab demonstration was achieved after several iterations. The JRC waveform design was based on optimization principles and implemented via Matlab. Collaboration across locations allowed successful integration of results and hardware assembly.