TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A cross-research team supported by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) has developed a high-sensitivity 4D sensing technology that enhances the integration performance with 6G communications.

According to an NSTC press release on Wednesday (Oct. 23), the technology is expected to be used in fields such as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), including remote physiological sensing for breathing and heartbeat rates, as well as detecting human falls through Wi-Fi sensing. The team was led by Professor Horng Tzyy-sheng (洪子聖) from National Sun-yat Sen University (NSYSU).

The research team stated that in communication-sensing integration, higher operating frequency bands can not only increase communication throughput but also significantly improve sensing resolution, per CNA. However, terahertz band chips generally face challenges of low efficiency and high power consumption.

Through flip-chip packaging, the team designed a 6G terahertz band MIMO transceiver chip, solving the issues of low efficiency and high power consumption.

The team said in healthcare scenarios, they demonstrated how to track the postures and movements of multiple people and identify each person's chest area for remote physiological sensing of breathing and heartbeat rates. In future applications, home Wi-Fi signals could detect human movements by analyzing the echoes.

The team is negotiating with manufacturers to develop non-contact patient monitors, 4D imaging radars for autonomous vehicles, and elderly fall alarms for homes.