DOA Estimation for Low-Altitude Networks: HAD Architectures, Methods, and Challenges
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866914437348196352 |
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| author | Tian, Ye Wu, Tuo Wu, Jintao Xu, He Shen, Yuanjun Lei, Xianfu Tong, Kin-Fai |
| author_facet | Tian, Ye Wu, Tuo Wu, Jintao Xu, He Shen, Yuanjun Lei, Xianfu Tong, Kin-Fai |
| contents | With the rapid expansion of low-altitude economy (LAE) services and the growing demand for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) in air-ground networks, reliable direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation has become essential for both directional communication and sensing functions. DOA underpins beam alignment, spatial-reuse scheduling, and ISAC-critical tasks such as airspace situational awareness and multi-target monitoring. Hybrid analog-digital (HAD) architectures have emerged as a practical solution for large-aperture directional operation under stringent radio frequency (RF), analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. However, HAD compresses antenna-domain observations through analog combining, fundamentally reshaping the measurement model and introducing new algorithmic and system-level challenges for DOA estimation. This article first reviews the principles and representative architectures of HAD, highlighting their advantages for scalable beam-centric and ISAC-oriented operation in LAE scenarios. We then provide a structured overview of HAD-enabled DOA estimation methodologies, including spatial covariance matrix (SCM) reconstruction, multi-combiner scan-based acquisition, and pilot-aided estimation, along with key design tradeoffs. Finally, we discuss open challenges and outline reliability-driven research directions toward robust, deployable HAD-enabled DOA solutions for practical ISAC-enabled low-altitude environments. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_00864 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | DOA Estimation for Low-Altitude Networks: HAD Architectures, Methods, and Challenges Tian, Ye Wu, Tuo Wu, Jintao Xu, He Shen, Yuanjun Lei, Xianfu Tong, Kin-Fai Signal Processing With the rapid expansion of low-altitude economy (LAE) services and the growing demand for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) in air-ground networks, reliable direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation has become essential for both directional communication and sensing functions. DOA underpins beam alignment, spatial-reuse scheduling, and ISAC-critical tasks such as airspace situational awareness and multi-target monitoring. Hybrid analog-digital (HAD) architectures have emerged as a practical solution for large-aperture directional operation under stringent radio frequency (RF), analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints. However, HAD compresses antenna-domain observations through analog combining, fundamentally reshaping the measurement model and introducing new algorithmic and system-level challenges for DOA estimation. This article first reviews the principles and representative architectures of HAD, highlighting their advantages for scalable beam-centric and ISAC-oriented operation in LAE scenarios. We then provide a structured overview of HAD-enabled DOA estimation methodologies, including spatial covariance matrix (SCM) reconstruction, multi-combiner scan-based acquisition, and pilot-aided estimation, along with key design tradeoffs. Finally, we discuss open challenges and outline reliability-driven research directions toward robust, deployable HAD-enabled DOA solutions for practical ISAC-enabled low-altitude environments. |
| title | DOA Estimation for Low-Altitude Networks: HAD Architectures, Methods, and Challenges |
| topic | Signal Processing |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.00864 |