Topic: Revolutionizing Public Safety:
6G Wireless Unleashes Precision Positioning and Navigation

Next in our spring seminar series, we welcome Dr. Eirini Tsiropoulou, an Associate Professor from the University of New Mexico.

Abstract:
The imperative need for accurate Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems, vital to critical infrastructure and advanced location-based services, has spurred the development of alternative technologies. This talk addresses the potential degradation of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) under varying conditions by proposing an innovative PNT solution. Leveraging Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs), we present a symbiotic game-theoretic framework that enhances PNT accuracy and efficiency. The heart of our approach lies in the orchestration and configuration of RISs. Game Theory and Reinforcement Learning (RL) are harnessed to address this challenge. Through a novel Satisfaction Game, targets autonomously determine the optimal count of contributing RISs for PNT services. The specific RISs ensemble is selected via an advanced RL algorithm. Further optimization involves phase shifts of the RISs, maximizing signal strength at targets through reflected signals. The proposed approach is grounded in a mutualistic symbiotic concept drawn from biological systems. Collaborator nodes, supported by RISs and anchor nodes with known coordinates, forge a symbiotic relationship with targets of unknown positions. Minimizing positioning and timing errors becomes a non-cooperative game among these entities, showcasing the existence of a Nash Equilibrium through the potential game principles. Performance evaluation is conducted through modeling and simulation, unveiling trade-offs between game-theoretic and RL approaches. The proposed methodology presents a promising avenue for robust PNT solutions, bridging accuracy and reliability gaps in GNSS and catering to critical sectors dependent on precise positioning, navigation, and timing.

You can see the presentation live at the UTSA Main Campus in the Student Union Mesquite room (2.01.24).

Those who cannot attend in-person are welcome to tune in virtually through Zoom: https://utsa.zoom.us/j/94807623288.