Rotatable Antenna-Empowered Wireless Networks: A Tutorial

2026-03-26

AI Summary

This work addresses the fundamental limitation of conventional wireless networks, whose fixed antenna architectures hinder the joint optimization of communication and sensing performance. To overcome this, the paper proposes a Rotatable Antenna (RA) technology that introduces an additional spatial degree of freedom by dynamically adjusting antenna orientation. The authors establish, for the first time, a unified mathematical framework incorporating antenna rotation modeling along with near-field/far-field transitions, wideband effects, and polarization characteristics. Building upon this framework, they develop novel multi-view channel estimation, beam steering scheduling, and signal processing techniques. Experimental validation through a prototype system demonstrates that RA significantly enhances both communication throughput and sensing accuracy, thereby offering a new paradigm for intelligent wireless systems and highlighting key open challenges for future research.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Multi-Robot Systems
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs

Abstract

Non-fixed flexible antenna architectures, such as fluid antenna system (FAS), movable antenna (MA), and pinching antenna, have garnered significant interest in recent years. Among them, rotatable antenna (RA) has emerged as a promising technology for enhancing wireless communication and sensing performance through flexible antenna orientation/boresight rotation. By enabling mechanical or electronic boresight adjustment without altering physical antenna positions, RA introduces additional spatial degrees of freedom (DoFs) beyond conventional beamforming. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive tutorial on the fundamentals, architectures, and applications of RA-empowered wireless networks. Specifically, we begin by reviewing the historical evolution of RA-related technologies and clarifying the distinctive role of RA among flexible antenna architectures. Then, we establish a unified mathematical framework for RA-enabled systems, including general antenna/array rotation models, as well as channel models that cover near- and far-field propagation characteristics, wideband frequency selectivity, and polarization effects. Building upon this foundation, we investigate antenna/array rotation optimization in representative communication and sensing scenarios. Furthermore, we examine RA channel estimation/acquisition strategies encompassing orientation scheduling mechanisms and signal processing methods that exploit multi-view channel observations. Beyond theoretical modeling and algorithmic design, we discuss practical RA configurations and deployment strategies. We also present recent RA prototypes and experimental results that validate the practical performance gains enabled by antenna rotation. Finally, we highlight promising extensions of RA to emerging wireless paradigms and outline open challenges to inspire future research.

Problem

• Rotatable Antenna
• Wireless Networks
• Spatial Degrees of Freedom
• Antenna Orientation
• Boresight Rotation

Innovation

• Rotatable Antenna
• Spatial Degrees of Freedom
• Antenna Rotation Optimization
• Multi-view Channel Estimation
• Flexible Antenna Architecture