Vodafone, Tiami trial hazard alert 6G-ready tech

Vodafone and Tiami Networks have tested a radar-style sensing system that lets existing 5G networks detect nearby hazards, pitching it as groundwork for future 6G. The trial used Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), which sends out radio signals and reads their echoes to spot and map objects that are not connected to the network, similar to echolocation. Run in Vodafone’s R&D lab in Malaga, Spain, the test used Tiami’s PolyRAN software to turn standard 5G base stations into wide-area sensors that could pick up people and other objects in real time without disrupting calls or data.

The companies argue this could turn smartphones into early-warning tools for crowd surges on train platforms, hidden burst water pipes and other safety risks, while offering camera-free ways to count visitors and protect privacy. Vodafone also flagged potential uses in disaster monitoring, livestock tracking, 3D mapping for smart glasses, food contamination checks, gesture-based robot control, and intruder or drone detection at airports and industrial sites. The trial ran over existing 5G spectrum, base stations and handsets, and used Open RAN-compliant antennas to show the sensing software can work with hardware from different vendors.