Scale-Free Beamforming using Swarm Arrays for Remote Sensing under Interference

2026-07-03

AI Summary

This work addresses the challenge of efficiently forwarding target signals with maximal fidelity in long-range sensing scenarios plagued by multiple interference sources. The authors propose a distributed zero-interference beamforming algorithm based on a Collective Array architecture, which computes optimal relay weights under stringent constraints: no prior channel state information, no centralized processing, and node communication permitted only through collective group actions. Remarkably, the method achieves computation and communication overhead that is entirely decoupled from array size—termed “zero scalability”—while remaining robust to noise and time-varying channels. This approach yields significant improvements in interference suppression, signal fidelity, and system scalability compared to existing solutions.

Abstract

We consider a swarm array of autonomous relays that seek to cooperatively forward a desired signal to a fusion center with the maximum possible fidelity while canceling out a number of interferers. We present a distributed algorithm for computing the optimal zero-forcing beamforming weights at the relays without requiring prior channel knowledge. Crucially, our algorithm is {\it scale-free} in the sense that the computational and bandwidth overheads are completely independent of the size of the array. We build on recent work that introduced the concept of a Collective Array that enables such {\it scale-free} computation by imposing a constraint that the array must always function as a {\it swarm} i.e. array elements can only ever communicate with external nodes collectively and never individually. While this is a very severe restriction, we show that it allows useful computations such as zero-forcing beamforming while being robust to noise and channel time-variations.

Problem

• Swarm Arrays
• Remote Sensing
• Interference Cancellation
• Scale-Free Beamforming
• Zero-Forcing Beamforming

Innovation

• scale-free
• swarm array
• zero-forcing beamforming
• distributed algorithm
• collective communication