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Latest News || 7 October 2026: Quiz and Pizza Night — Titanic Crew placed fourth. || 3 October 2026: Serving as a Student Ambassador at Queen's University Belfast, welcoming prospective students and visitors and supporting EEECS tours and event activities. || 9 September 2026: Published at AP-S/URSI 2026: “Near Field-Aware UE Localization in RIS-Aided Wireless Networks Through ML-Regressor.” || 25 August 2026: Poster presentation at UCMMT 2026 in Birmingham — “Experimental Validation of Localisation in RIS-Assisted mmWave Networks.” || 18 August 2026: Published at EuCAP 2026: “Impact of RIS Size on Machine Learning-Enabled Beam Sweeping for User Localization.”
Tarek Hassan
Knowledge Hubris assisted isac system1. How ISAC is Connected to RIS

ris assisted isac system learning note

1. How ISAC is Connected to RIS

Why RIS and ISAC naturally fit together in 6G networks, and what problem each technology solves.

The Connection in One Sentence

ISAC makes the network sense and communicate; RIS makes the propagation environment controllable.

The combination is powerful because sensing and communication both depend on radio propagation. If the propagation path is blocked or weak, both functions degrade. RIS can create additional controllable paths.

ISAC BS waveform + receiver RIS Comm user Target data-focused reflected path target illumination and echo path
Figure 1: RIS-assisted ISAC has at least two coupled paths: one path supports user data, while another illuminates or receives echoes from a target. The RIS state affects both paths, so communication and sensing cannot be optimized independently.

The figure shows the central coupling. A RIS phase pattern that maximizes user rate may not maximize target echo strength. A pattern that focuses on the target may reduce user SINR. RIS-assisted ISAC research is therefore about balancing these goals with a single physical surface and a shared waveform.

References for this section3

What ISAC Provides

ISAC provides shared communication and sensing functionality:

  • Data transmission to users.
  • Radar-like detection.
  • Range, angle, and Doppler estimation.
  • Tracking and environment awareness.
References for this section3

What RIS Provides

RIS provides propagation control:

  • NLoS path creation.
  • Signal focusing.
  • Interference shaping.
  • Virtual anchors for localization.
  • Alternative sensing viewpoints.
References for this section3

Why the Combination is Needed

High-resolution ISAC often uses mmWave/sub-THz bands. These bands provide wide bandwidth and narrow beams, but they are vulnerable to blockage. If the line-of-sight path is blocked, the base station may lose both communication and sensing visibility.

RIS can restore visibility by redirecting the waveform.

References for this section3

Correcting a Common Misunderstanding

RIS-assisted ISAC is not simply "bouncing radar from a mirror." The RIS phase pattern changes the effective channel and must be optimized jointly with:

  • BS transmit beamforming.
  • Communication user quality of service.
  • Target illumination.
  • Echo reception.
  • Interference and clutter.
  • RIS hardware constraints.
References for this section3

Main System Types

SystemDescription
Passive RIS-aided ISACLow-power surface shapes ISAC beams
Active RIS-aided ISACRIS amplifies reflected signals to reduce multiplicative loss
STAR-RIS ISACSurface serves/senses both sides
Multifunctional RIS ISACRIS includes sensors or receiving elements
References for this section3

Takeaway

RIS and ISAC are connected because both are about using radio waves more intelligently. ISAC extracts information from the environment; RIS reshapes the environment so extraction and communication become easier.

References for this section3

Complete references and further reading