T14 – Towards AI-Native 6G: Energy-Efficient, Flexible, and Resilient Sensing and Communications Across Terrestrial and Non-Terrestrial Networks

Co-presenter: Yu-Jia Chen, National Central University, Taiwan
Co-presenter: Li-Hsiang Shen, National Central University, Taiwan

Abstract: In the 6G era, the integration of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) is expected to enable a unified architecture for seamless connectivity, wide-area sensing, and reliable services in dynamic and extreme environments. However, such systems face critical challenges, including highly dynamic topologies, heterogeneous resources, intermittent links, and stringent energy constraints. To address these issues, future networks must jointly achieve energy efficiency, flexibility, and resilience through integrated optimization of sensing, communication, computation, and control. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and edge intelligence provide key enablers. Reinforcement learning and multi-agent learning support adaptive decision-making, while generative AI enhances propagation modeling, data reconstruction, and semantic communications. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) further unifies environmental awareness and data transmission, improving spectral efficiency and enabling context-aware operation. In addition, emerging technologies such as reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) and movable antenna systems offer new degrees of freedom for coverage extension, energy-efficient transmission, and channel adaptation in highly dynamic environments. This tutorial presents a comprehensive overview of GAI-enabled sensing and communication in 6G integrated networks, highlighting recent advances and design synergies across AI, ISAC, and reconfigurable hardware. Representative applications, including RSS-based sensing and RIS-assisted ISAC, are discussed to demonstrate the potential of these technologies.

Co-presenter’s Bios:

Yu-Jia Chen:

Yu-Jia Chen received the B.S. degree and Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering from National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan, in 2010 and 2015, respectively. From 2015 to 2018, he was a postdoctoral research fellow with National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. From Nov. 2018 to Jan. 2019, he was a visiting scholar with the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. In 2019, he joined National Central University, Taiwan, where he is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Engineering. His research interests include distributed collaborative machine learning, non terrestrial networks, wireless sensing and localization, and IoT security. Dr. Chen has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed international journal and conference papers. He is holding four US patents and four ROC patents.

Dr. Chen has been serving as Technical Organizing Committee and Symposium Co-chair for many international conferences and symposia, including Globecom, ICC, and PIMRC. Prof. Chen has experience with tutorials at academic conferences such as Globecom and VTC. He also serves served as the Guest Editor for IEEE Vehicular Technology Magazine and International Journal of Electrical Engineering (IJEE). He was a recipient of the Best Paper Award for Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, in 2018, the Outstanding Advisor Award from the Taiwan Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering in 2019, Outstanding Research Award of the National Central University, Taiwan, in 2023, Young Researcher Award from the Taiwan Association of Cloud Computing in 2023, Outstanding Youth Award from the Taiwan Consumer Electronics Society in 2025, and FutureTech Award from National Science & Technology Council in 2025. He is a Senior Member of IEEE.

Li-Hsiang Shen:

Li-Hsiang Shen received Ph.D. degree from the Institute of Communication Engineering, National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), Hsinchu, Taiwan, in 2020. Since February 2024, he has been an Assistant Professor with the Department of Communication Engineering, National Central University (NCU), Taoyuan, Taiwan. From 2018 to 2019, he was a Visiting Scholar with the Next Generation Wireless Research Group of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), University of Southampton, U.K. From 2021 to 2023, he was a Postdoc with ECE, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Hsinchu, Taiwan. In 2023, he was a Visiting Scholar with California PATH, Berkeley DeepDrive, University of California, Berkeley (UCB), USA. In 2025, he was a Visiting Professor with the ECE, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His research interests include wireless broadband in 5G/6G, space-air-ground integrated network (SAGIN), low Earth orbit (LEO), multi-functional reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS), integrated sensing, computing and communications, and machine/deep learning for wireless networks. Dr. Shen was the recipient of Ph. D Scholarship from NCTU and from Industry-Academic Elite Program. He was rewarded the first prize of Broadcom Foundation Asia Pacific Workshop in 2019. In 2021, he was rewarded IEEE Best PhD Thesis Award, NYCU Outstanding Ph.D. Research, and Phi Tau Phi Scholastic Honor Society of Taiwan. In 2022, he was rewarded National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) FutureTech Award, NSTC Postdoctoral Research Abroad Program, and NSTC Postdoctoral Research Award. In 2024 and 2025, he was rewarded NCU Rising Stars three times. In 2025, he was rewarded Wen-Yuan Pan Foundation Exploration Research Award.