Spatially Reconfigurable Pinching-Antenna Systems: Experimental Validation and ISAC Applications

Abstract

Future integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) networks require wireless platforms that can adapt not only their signals but also the physical locations from which they radiate and observe. This article presents pinching-antenna systems (PASS) as a spatially adaptive platform for ISAC. PASS adopts dielectric waveguides as signal-transport media and reconfigurable dielectric pinching antennas to realize programmable radiation and observation points along these waveguides. This unique architecture introduces new spatial degrees of freedom, allowing the network to dynamically reconfigure its interaction geometry with users, targets, and the surrounding environment, rather than solely optimizing signals over a fixed antenna geometry. Leveraging a terahertz testbed, we experimentally validate the spatial control and spatially selective reception capabilities of PASS and demonstrate constructive field combining between two coherent radiation points. We further explore how such spatial reconfigurability can enable radio-map-assisted communication, environment division multiple access, and closed-loop active radio perception. Finally, we identify key challenges and research directions toward practical PASS-ISAC networks.