An interference-aware smart surface that improves 6G wireless communication by boosting signal quality, reducing processing overhead, enhancing security, and enabling more reliable sensing and positioning applications.
A team of engineers led by the University of Glasgow in collaboration with King Fahd University and the University of Leicester, has developed an interference-aware control framework for reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) that could overcome one of the biggest challenges facing future 6G wireless networks electromagnetic interference (EMI). The approach improves communication reliability, strengthens physical-layer security, and reduces network processing requirements, making RIS more practical for next-generation integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems.
RIS is considered a key enabling technology for 6G. Unlike conventional antennas that simply transmit or receive radio waves, an RIS is a programmable surface containing thousands of electronically controlled elements. These elements can manipulate incoming electromagnetic waves by reflecting, focusing, or steering them toward a desired receiver. Besides improving wireless coverage, RIS can also support precise positioning and environmental sensing, capabilities expected to become central to 6G ISAC networks.
However, RIS has a significant limitation. Since it reflects all incident radio signals, it also amplifies unwanted electromagnetic interference generated by the growing number of connected devices operating over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks. This interference degrades communication quality, lowers positioning accuracy, and increases computational demands at the network base station.
Instead of attempting to cancel interference- a method that often weakens the desired signal- the researchers developed an EMI-aware framework that filters interference before it reaches the receiver. The system first identifies the statistical characteristics or “fingerprint” of surrounding interference while simultaneously scanning multiple beam directions to determine the strongest communication path. These inputs are then used to dynamically configure the RIS, thereby reinforcing the intended signal while suppressing unwanted electromagnetic noise.
The technique also shifts part of the signal-processing workload from the base station to the intelligent surface itself. By handling interference during wave propagation rather than after reception, the framework reduces digital signal processing requirements and lowers the network’s overall energy consumption, an important consideration for dense 6G deployments.
To validate the approach, the researchers built a laboratory testbed using a 64 × 64 programmable RIS comprising more than 4,000 controllable elements. Operating at 3.5 GHz, the same spectrum widely used for current 5G systems, the experiment involved five users- three legitimate users inside the test environment and two outside representing potential eavesdroppers. The intelligent surface successfully concentrated radio energy toward authorised users while preventing the external users from receiving a usable signal. The experiments also demonstrated improved data rates and more accurate user localisation, closely matching simulation results.
Beyond improving connectivity, the work highlights how programmable wireless environments can enhance physical-layer security. By directing signals only toward trusted receivers instead of broadcasting them broadly, RIS can make wireless interception significantly more difficult while simultaneously supporting reliable sensing and localisation. These capabilities are expected to play an important role in future applications such as autonomous transportation, connected healthcare, industrial automation, and smart cities.
