ISAC: From Human to Environmental Sensing

Wu, K; Wang, Z; Chen, S-L; Zhang, JA; Guo, YJ

ISAC: From Human to Environmental Sensing

Wu, K

Wang, Z

Chen, S-L Zhang, JA Guo, YJ

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Publisher:: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Electromagnetics Antennas and Propagation, 2025, 1, (1), pp. 84-98
Issue Date:: 2025-09

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Wu, K https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1298-6404
dc.contributor.author	Wang, Z https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3611-9540
dc.contributor.author	Chen, S-L
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, JA
dc.contributor.author	Guo, YJ
dc.date.accessioned	2026-02-09T05:44:37Z
dc.date.available	2026-02-09T05:44:37Z
dc.date.issued	2025-09
dc.identifier.citation	IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Electromagnetics Antennas and Propagation, 2025, 1, (1), pp. 84-98
dc.identifier.issn	3066-2494
dc.identifier.issn	3066-2494
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193097
dc.description.abstract	Integrated sensing and communications (ISACs) are poised to become one of the defining capabilities of the sixth generation (6G) wireless communications systems, enabling the network infrastructure to jointly support high-throughput communications and situational awareness. While recent advances have explored ISAC for both human-centric applications and environmental monitoring, existing research remains fragmented across these domains. This article provides the first unified review of ISAC-enabled sensing for both human activities and environment, focusing on signal-level mechanisms, sensing features, and real-world feasibility. We begin by characterizing how diverse physical phenomena, ranging from human vital sign and motion to precipitation and flood dynamics, impact wireless signal propagation, producing measurable signatures in channel state information (CSI), Doppler profiles, and signal statistics. A comprehensive analysis is then presented across two domains: human sensing applications including localization, activity recognition, and vital sign monitoring; and environmental sensing for rainfall, soil moisture, and water level. Experimental results from long-term evolution (LTE) sensing under nonline-of-sight (NLOS) conditions are incorporated to highlight the feasibility in infrastructure-limited scenarios. Open challenges in signal fusion, domain adaptation, and generalizable sensing architectures are discussed to facilitate future research toward scalable and autonomous ISAC.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
dc.relation.ispartof	IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Electromagnetics Antennas and Propagation
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1109/jsteap.2025.3606464
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title	ISAC: From Human to Environmental Sensing
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Electrical and Data Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/UTS Groups/Global Big Data Technologies Centre (GBDTC)
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2026-02-09T05:44:35Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	1
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Integrated sensing and communications (ISACs) are poised to become one of the defining capabilities of the sixth generation (6G) wireless communications systems, enabling the network infrastructure to jointly support high-throughput communications and situational awareness. While recent advances have explored ISAC for both human-centric applications and environmental monitoring, existing research remains fragmented across these domains. This article provides the first unified review of ISAC-enabled sensing for both human activities and environment, focusing on signal-level mechanisms, sensing features, and real-world feasibility. We begin by characterizing how diverse physical phenomena, ranging from human vital sign and motion to precipitation and flood dynamics, impact wireless signal propagation, producing measurable signatures in channel state information (CSI), Doppler profiles, and signal statistics. A comprehensive analysis is then presented across two domains: human sensing applications including localization, activity recognition, and vital sign monitoring; and environmental sensing for rainfall, soil moisture, and water level. Experimental results from long-term evolution (LTE) sensing under nonline-of-sight (NLOS) conditions are incorporated to highlight the feasibility in infrastructure-limited scenarios. Open challenges in signal fusion, domain adaptation, and generalizable sensing architectures are discussed to facilitate future research toward scalable and autonomous ISAC.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/193097