arXiv subjects

Derrick Wing Kwan Ng

Publications and source records attributed to Derrick Wing Kwan Ng.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Not All Uncertainty Matters: Simulation-in-the-Loop Fast-Slow Reasoning for Decision-Critical Autonomous Driving System

Large vision-language models (VLMs) provide powerful open-world perception and reasoning for autonomous driving, but their high computational cost and inference latency make continuous cloud-side use impractical. This motivates fast--slow collaboration, where efficient onboard modules handle real-time perception and control while cloud models provide high-level reasoning only when needed. The key challenge is deciding when cloud reasoning should influence time-critical driving decisions. Existing methods often rely on perception uncertainty, heuristic triggers, or resource-driven policies, without assessing whether resolving an uncertainty will improve planning. We propose \textbf{SIGMA}, a simulation-in-the-loop framework for task-oriented fast--slow collaboration. SIGMA embeds the planner into uncertainty assessment and evaluates how plausible scene realizations under semantic and geometric uncertainty affect feasible trajectories and planning cost. Based on these outcomes, it estimates the expected reduction in planning cost from resolving uncertainty. We further introduce expected planning gain (EPG), a decision-level metric for cloud invocation, cloud-guidance integration, and request prioritization under deadline and resource constraints. Experiments in CARLA show that SIGMA reduces unnecessary cloud interactions while improving planning, efficiency, and navigation success in static and dynamic obstacle scenarios. Compared with fixed-period collaboration, SIGMA reduces unnecessary cloud interactions by 50\%, improves navigation success by more than 6\%, and cuts finish time by up to 26.2\% in dynamic scenarios.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2026

Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Movable Antenna-aided Cell-Free Massive MIMO Systems

The inherent non-convex minimum-separation constraints introduced by movable antennas present a formidable challenge to the joint optimization of antenna positions and transmission strategies, rendering conventional methods computationally infeasible, particularly in large-scale cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO). In this work, we propose the graph-based learning individual intrinsic reward heterogeneous-agent proximal policy optimization (GLIIR-HAPPO) algorithm, a novel heterogeneous multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) framework that fundamentally overcomes this impasse by systematically decomposing the original coupled optimization into coordinated subproblems. To ensure tractability, we embed the non-convex geometric constraints into a penalty-augmented reward structure and develop a specialized geometric solver that enables the positioning agents to efficiently navigate the high-dimensional action space. Specifically, we propose an architecture featuring a dynamic-interaction graph critic for adaptive cross-role coordination, together with role-conditioned federated distillation that synchronizes same-role policies through compact actor-output statistics. Beyond architectural design, we establish a rigorous theoretical analysis that derives monotonic performance improvement bounds and establishes convergence guarantees for the proposed bi-level optimization. Numerical simulations demonstrate that our framework yields significant sum-rate improvements over state-of-the-art MARL schemes. Moreover, the performance of our advanced architecture closely approaches its fully centralized counterpart, while drastically reducing communication overhead.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

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

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.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Agentic AI Networking for Heterogeneous Unmanned Aerial Systems in Low-Altitude Wireless Networks

Low-altitude wireless networks (LAWNs) are emerging as a key infrastructure for heterogeneous unmanned aerial systems that support concurrent services within a shared three-dimensional airspace. Their coexistence creates strong coupling among mobility, connectivity, and shared network resources, while heterogeneous services impose distinct and time-varying requirements. These interactions naturally form a dynamic non-cooperative game in which both operating conditions and coordination objectives evolve over time. Conventional optimization and learning-based controllers typically rely on predefined objectives, limiting their ability to adapt autonomously to changing service requirements and resource priorities. To address this challenge, we propose a hierarchical hybrid large language model (LLM)- multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) architecture organized as a dual-loop structure. Specifically, an outer adaptation loop employs LLM-assisted game orchestration to interpret service requirements and operator intent, and reconfigure objectives and resource priorities, while an inner loop executes decentralized, parameter-conditioned MARL policies under the configured game. A logistics-monitoring case study illustrates how the proposed framework facilitates coordinated coexistence among heterogeneous services, adapting to evolving operating conditions without retraining the underlying MARL policies. Finally, we discuss key challenges and research directions toward scalable, trustworthy, and adaptive agentic LAWNs.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2026

ISAC with Co-Prime Arrays: Virtual-Aperture Sensing and uplink downlink communications

Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) enables simultaneous communication and environmental sensing in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks, but its performance is constrained by the physical antenna aperture and residual self-interference (SI) in full-duplex (FD) sensing. To address these issues, we propose a shared-aperture ISAC architecture in which a sparse co-prime array (CPA) is embedded in a uniform linear array (ULA) grid for FD sensing, while the remaining antenna positions support time-division duplexing (TDD) communication. We characterize the sensing performance through an order-wise Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) analysis, showing that the CPA achieves a stronger asymptotic sensing gain than the partitioned ULA benchmark in both single-target and nondegenerate multi-target scenarios. We further reveal a space-time sampling tradeoff under the same physical aperture. Based on the proposed architecture, we formulate a non-convex joint resource allocation problem that maximizes the weighted downlink-uplink sum rate by jointly designing the sensing transmit covariance, downlink precoder, and uplink receive beamformers under sensing accuracy, BS transmit-power, communication QoS, and residual SI constraints. An alternating-optimization-based algorithm is developed. Simulations demonstrate consistent performance gains over the considered baselines and confirm the complementary benefits of the CPA virtual aperture and sensing covariance optimization.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Secure Cooperative THz ISAC via Mamba Empowered Graph Neural Network Precoding

The terahertz (THz) band offers abundant spectrum resources for high-throughput communication and ultra high-precision localization. This paper investigates secure communication in cooperative THz orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) bistatic integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) systems, where multiple base stations (BSs) equipped with extremely large-scale antenna arrays (ELAAs) collaboratively serve downlink users while concurrently locating multiple targets. Malicious targets are assumed to act as potential eavesdroppers attempting to intercept confidential information intended for legitimate users. To mitigate these threats, we formulate a joint optimization problem for analog beamforming, digital precoding, true-time delayers (TTDs), and sensing signal covariance matrix design. The objective is to maximize the minimum secrecy rate subject to Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) constraints that ensure localization accuracy. This problem is highly challenging due to the non-convex CRB constraint, strongly coupled variables, high computational complexity from ELAA, and near-field channel modeling. To address these challenges, we propose a novel data-driven framework that integrates graph neural networks (GNNs) with the Mamba architecture. Our proposed framework first encodes the interactions among users, targets, and BSs into a heterogeneous graph and then employs message passing to optimize vertex features. The Mamba blocks further enhance this process through their selection mechanism and state space modeling capabilities, enabling dynamic and context-aware optimization of beamforming, TTD configurations, and sensing parameters. Numerical simulations validate that the proposed method outperforms both conventional and learning-based baselines, while offering high computational efficiency and strong generalization across different network conditions.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Intelligent Wiretap Code Design: Exploiting Wireless Endogenous Security via Information Theory and Deep Learning Integration

Recent advancements in wireless endogenous security have explored leveraging the inherent randomness of wireless channels to enhance communication security, providing an effective alternative to traditional encryption methods. This paper proposes a wiretap coding scheme within the semantic communication framework, which leverages discrete semantic representations compatible with conventional digital modulation to jointly enhance communication security and reliability. We investigate two eavesdropping scenarios: (i) the eavesdropper employs a maximum a posteriori (MAP) decoder, and (ii) the eavesdropper has access to a decoder identical to that of the legitimate receiver. In the first scenario, we exploit mutual information as a metric to guide the design of an optimized coding strategy, minimizing information leakage while enhancing communication reliability. In the second scenario, considering the limitations of the eavesdropper's decoding capability, we employ generalized mutual information (GMI) to characterize recoverability under the prescribed decoding rule and guide reliability-aware code optimization.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Pinching Antenna-Assisted ISAC with Waveguide Mode Selection

Conventional pinching antenna (PA)-assisted integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) architectures typically assume static receiver locations or predetermined receive waveguides, thereby underutilizing the inherent spatial degrees of freedom. This paper proposes a novel mode-selectable PA-assisted ISAC framework to maximize the post-combining sensing signal-to-noise ratio while satisfying multi-user quality-of-service constraints by jointly optimizing the waveguide mode selection, transmit beamforming, and transmit/receive PA positions. To tackle the resulting mixed-integer nonconvex optimization problem, we develop a low-complexity block-coordinate descent algorithm that leverages a penalty-based majorization-minimization method to achieve high-quality suboptimal solutions. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed design significantly outperforms both traditional PA and fixed-antenna benchmarks by synergistically harnessing spatial adaptability and modal reconfigurability. In particular, the mode-selectable design enables the coordinated optimization of transmit/receive operations and sensing-communication resource allocation, thereby maintaining sensing robustness under stringent communication requirements.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Energy-Efficient Resource Allocation for Six-Dimensional Movable Antenna Systems

This paper investigates the energy-efficiency (EE) maximization problem for a multiuser wireless network equipped with six-dimensional movable antennas (6DMAs), where the three-dimensional (3D) positions and orientations of the antennas are jointly optimized to fully exploit the additional spatial degrees of freedom offered by dynamic channel reconfiguration. However, the practical operation of 6DMAs incurs non-negligible mechanical energy consumption. Moreover, orientation-dependent phase variations, together with the strong coupling among antenna positions, rotation angles, transmit beamforming, and time allocation, render the resulting problem highly non-convex and analytically challenging. To address this issue, we develop a block coordinate descent (BCD) optimization framework that integrates Dinkelbach's transformation with the majorization-minimization (MM) approach to efficiently obtain a high quality suboptimal solution with guaranteed convergence. Simulation results unveil that the proposed design achieves significant EE improvements over conventional benchmarks, thereby highlighting the critical importance of accounting for practical mechanical energy costs in 6DMA enabled systems. Furthermore, our results reveal a fundamental trade-off between throughput enhancement and mechanical overhead: although larger antenna reconfigurations can improve channel conditions, their EE gains gradually diminish due to the increased mechanical energy consumption.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Ultra-Low-Cost Hybrid Beamforming: A New Static-Connection Architecture with Sparse Phase-Shifter Sharing

Hybrid beamforming is a promising solution for high-frequency multi-antenna wireless systems, but its implementation is constrained by the cost and complexity of analog phase-shifter (PS) networks. Although sub-connected architectures simplify the analog network, their conventional realization still requires a dedicated PS for each antenna, causing considerable layout area, wiring, calibration, and control overheads. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel static-connection architecture with sparse PSs for ultra-low-cost sub-connected hybrid beamforming, where antennas within each sub-array share a PS through an optimized fixed PS-to-antenna connection matrix. The proposed architecture preserves static connections while enabling dynamic beam control via adaptive PS phase-shift adjustments and digital precoding. For the single-radio-frequency (RF)-chain scenario, the sparse-PS connection design is transformed into an antenna-grouping problem, with analytically characterized structural properties and an efficient algorithm. For the multi-RF-chain scenario, we develop a quality-of-service (QoS)-majorization-minimization (MM) algorithm to handle the mixed discrete-continuous optimization problem. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed architecture reduces the PS count while preserving most beamforming capability of the traditional full-PS sub-connected architecture. In particular, the proposed design achieves PS-count reductions of 37.5% and 62.5% in single-RF-chain and multi-RF-chain systems, respectively, while avoiding deep-null and grating-lobe degradations associated with deterministic connection schemes. These results provide engineering insights into static sparse-PS sharing: the key to hardware-efficient hybrid beamforming is not merely reducing the PS count, but also preserving essential analog-domain degrees of freedom through optimized PS connection topologies.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Low-Altitude UAV Tracking via Sensing-Assisted Predictive Beamforming

Sensing-assisted predictive beamforming shows significant promise for enhancing various future unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) applications in integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems. However, the impact of such beamforming technique on the communication reliability was largely unexplored and challenging to characterize. To fill this research gap and tackle this issue, this paper proposes a cellular-connected UAV tracking scheme leveraging extended Kalman filtering (EKF), where the predicted UAV trajectory, sensing duration ratio, and target constant received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are jointly optimized to maximize the outage capacity at each time slot. To address the implicit nature of the objective function, analytical outage probability (OP) approximations are proposed based on second-order Taylor expansions, providing an efficient and full characterization of outage capacity. Subsequently, an efficient algorithm is proposed based on a combination of bisection search and successive convex approximation (SCA) to address the non-convex optimization problem with guaranteed convergence. To further reduce computational complexity, a second efficient algorithm is developed based on alternating optimization (AO). Simulation results validate the accuracy of the derived OP approximations, the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms, and the significant outage capacity enhancement over various benchmarks. Furthermore, we show that the optimized predicted UAV trajectory tends to be parallel to the base station's uniform linear array antennas with a nonzero minimum distance, indicating a trade-off between decreasing path loss and enjoying wide beam coverage for outage capacity maximization.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Sense Smarter, Think Better: A Survey on Edge Perception for Next-Generation Networks

Edge perception has emerged as a foundational capability for future wireless networks, enabling the network edge to proactively sense, interpret, and interact with the physical environment in a task-oriented and resource-aware manner. This survey provides a comprehensive and structured overview of edge perception. We first review representative sensing modalities and edge artificial intelligence (AI) techniques as the fundamental building blocks. We then examine their synergistic interactions. We systematically analyze how edge AI enhances sensing capabilities, encompassing both in-band and out-of-band modalities, as well as multi-modal sensor data fusion. Moreover, we discuss the role of task-driven sensing in facilitating edge AI, including integrated sensing-communication-computation designs, and active perception frameworks that dynamically adapt sensing strategies for downstream applications. Finally, we identify key challenges and open issues. By consolidating fragmented research across sensing, communication, and edge AI, this survey provides forward-looking insights for the design and implementation of edge perception systems for sixth-generation (6G) networks.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Game-Theoretic Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Swarm Trajectory Planning in Low-Altitude Wireless Networks

The Low-Altitude Economy (LAE) is rapidly expanding, giving rise to low-altitude wireless networks (LAWNs), where large-scale cellular-connected unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployments support heterogeneous mission-critical applications over multi-cell ground base station (GBS) infrastructures. To ensure mission success, each UAV must jointly optimize communication throughput and mission completion efficiency. In fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) systems, the equal resource block (RB) allocation policy induces strong strategic coupling among UAV trajectories: when a UAV enters a GBS cell, it reduces the RB share available to all co-served UAVs, thereby altering their achievable rates and trajectory incentives through shared wireless resources. Existing studies either ignore this coupling or focus on single-cell infrastructure, leaving the multi-cell, congestion-aware UAV trajectory planning problem insufficiently addressed. To fill this gap, we formulate the problem as a cooperative stochastic congestion game with a communication-and-mission-aware utility function, and propose a centralized-training decentralized-execution multi-agent proximal policy optimization (CTDE-MAPPO) algorithm to maximize social welfare under multi-cell RB congestion. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms QMIX, independent Q-learning, and random baselines in terms of aggregate utility and mission success rate, while achieving stable convergence within practical training budgets.

cs.GT↗

arXiv2026

Beyond the RF Paradigm: Rydberg Atomic Receivers for Next-Generation IoT

Next-generation Internet-of-Things (IoT) is evolving toward a ubiquitous, ultra-low-power, and multi-band heterogeneous networking paradigm that seamlessly integrates terrestrial, non-terrestrial, and ambient devices. This vision places unprecedented demands on conventional radio frequency (RF) receivers, whose fundamental bottlenecks in sensitivity, power consumption, coverage, and multi-band operation are rooted in the RF antenna. To tackle these issues, we show that the quantum properties of Rydberg atomic quantum receivers (RAQRs), including ultra-high sensitivity, broad frequency agility, and diverse reception modalities, provide a physically distinct receiver-side path that replaces the conventional antenna-and-low-noise-amplifier chain. Using LoRa, narrowband IoT, and ambient IoT as case studies, this article shows that RAQRs deliver significant gains in weak-uplink, low-power, and battery-free regimes. A stochastic-geometry analysis in cellular and cell-free architectures then maps these device-level gains onto network coverage, where the RAQR retains roughly a 4 dB half-coverage advantage over the RF receiver in sparse deployments at \(λ\sim 10^{-5}~{\mathrm m}^{-2}\), with the gain eroded as device density grows. The open challenges are presented to stand between current RAQR prototypes and deployable IoT infrastructure.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Coordinated Beamforming for Networked Integrated Communication and Multi-TMT Localization

Networked integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) has emerged as a pivotal paradigm for next-generation wireless networks, where dedicated target monitoring terminals (TMTs) can be extensively leveraged for their low-cost flexible deployment and capability to facilitate bistatic and multistatic sensing. Nevertheless, the coordinated beamforming design for networked ISAC tailored for time-of-arrival (ToA)-based multi-TMT localization remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, we present a comprehensive study in this paper. Specifically, we first establish signal models for both communication and localization, and, for the first time, derive a closed-form Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) to quantify the localization performance. Leveraging this CRLB, we formulate two optimization problems focusing on sensing-centric and communication-centric criteria, respectively, to thoroughly investigate the fundamental communication-localization trade-offs. For the sensing-centric problem, we develop a globally optimal algorithm based on semidefinite relaxation (SDR), applicable to scenarios where the number of BS antennas exceeds the total number of communication users. In parallel, for the communication-centric problem, we design a globally optimal algorithm for the single-BS case utilizing bisection search. To address the general cases of both problems, we propose a unified and efficient successive convex approximation (SCA)-based algorithm, which is further extended to multi-target scenarios. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms, reveal the intrinsic trade-offs between communication and localization, and further show that deploying more TMTs is more beneficial than deploying more BSs in networked ISAC systems.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Movable-Antenna-Enhanced ISAC: Optimal Antenna Trajectory and Beamforming Design

Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is a key enabling technology for next-generation wireless networks. However, most existing ISAC systems rely on fixed-position antennas, which restrict performance when balancing sensing and communication objectives. Movable antenna (MA) technology introduces additional spatial degrees of freedom through antenna mobility, yet existing studies on MA-enabled ISAC schemes mainly consider static antenna repositioning and fail to fully exploit this capability. By leveraging spatio-temporal sampling enabled by antenna motion, optimized MA trajectories can synthesize large virtual aperture arrays, thereby improving angular resolution and reducing sensing ambiguity. To this end, this paper investigates a dynamic MA-enabled ISAC system and studies the joint design of MA trajectories and transmit beamforming. We formulate a joint trajectory and beamforming optimization problem to minimize sensing beampattern mismatch under communication quality-of-service constraints. A branch-and-bound-based algorithm is developed to obtain the globally optimal solution. Numerical results show that the proposed framework significantly outperforms baseline schemes with only one or two antenna repositioning steps, demonstrating its practical feasibility.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2026

Robust and Secure Blockage-Aware Pinching Antenna-assisted Wireless Communication

In this work, we investigate a blockage-aware pinching antenna (PA) system designed for secure and robust wireless communication. The considered system comprises a base station equipped with multiple waveguides, each hosting multiple PAs, and serves multiple single-antenna legitimate users in the presence of multi-antenna eavesdroppers under imperfect channel state information (CSI). To safeguard confidential transmissions, artificial noise (AN) is deliberately injected to degrade the eavesdropping channels. Recognizing that conventional linear CSI error bounds become overly conservative for spatially distributed PA architectures, we develop new geometry aware uncertainty sets that jointly characterize eavesdropper position and array-orientation errors. Building upon these sets, we formulate a robust joint optimization problem that determines per waveguide beamforming and AN covariance, individual PA power ratio allocation, and PA positions to maximize the system sum rate subject to secrecy constraints. The highly nonconvex design problem is efficiently addressed via a low computational complexity iterative algorithm that capitalizes on block coordinate descent, penalty based methods, majorization minimization, the S procedure, and Lipschitz based surrogate functions. Simulation results demonstrate that the sum rate achieved by the proposed algorithm outperforms conventional fixed-antenna systems by 4.7 dB, offering substantially improved rate and secrecy performance. In particular, (i) adaptive PA positioning preserves LoS to legitimate users while effectively exploiting waveguide geometry to disrupt eavesdropper channels, and (ii) neglecting blockage effects in the PA system significantly impacts the system design, leading to performance degradation and inadequate secrecy guarantees.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Integrated Sensing and Communications for Low-Altitude Economy with Deterministic Sensing and Gaussian Information Signals

Reliable surveillance and communication for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are crucial for enabling and sustaining the accelerated growth of the low-altitude economy. Integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) offers a cost-effective and scalable framework for target sensing by leveraging existing wireless communication systems. This paper investigates a bistatic downlink ISAC architecture tailored to UAV operations, in which a BS communicates with a legitimate UAV and detects a potential unauthorized intruder in the surveillance region. We assume that the BS transmits superimposed ISAC waveforms comprising both Gaussian-information-bearing and deterministic sensing components. First, we develop a Neyman-Pearson (NP)-based optimal detector that jointly exploits both deterministic sensing and stochastic signal components. Subsequently, we optimize the transmit beamforming design at the BS to maximize the minimum detection probability over the entire surveillance region, subject to a minimum signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirement at the authorized UAV and a total transmit power budget at the BS. The resulting design problem is highly non-convex, which is efficiently addressed via semi-definite relaxation (SDR) and successive convex approximation (SCA) techniques. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed NP-based detector, which fully leverages the synergy between both types of signals, over conventional benchmark schemes that treat information-bearing signals merely as interference. Furthermore, the results reveal a fundamental sensing-communication trade-off, where increasing the communication-rate threshold directs more transmit power to Gaussian-information-bearing signals, thereby reducing the power allocated to deterministic components and consequently weakening detection performance.

eess.SP↗