We investigate full-duplex (FD) multi-user multiple input single-output systems with coarse quantization, aiming to characterize the impact of employing low-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) on self-interference (SI) and to develop a quantization- and SI-aware beamforming method that alleviates quantization-induced performance degradation in the FD systems. We first present an analysis on the perantenna signal-to-quantization noise ratio for conventional linear beamformers to provide the desired range of the number of analog-to-digital converter (ADC) bits, providing system insights for reliable FD operation in regard to the ADC resolution and beamforming strategy. Motivated by the insights, we then propose an SI-aware beamforming method that mitigates residual SI and quantization distortion. The resulting spectral efficiency (SE) maximization problem is decomposed into two tractable subproblems solved via alternating optimization: precoder and combiner design. The precoder optimization is formulated as a generalized eigenvalue problem, where the dominant eigenvector yields the best stationary solution through power iteration, while the combiner is derived as a quantization-aware minimum meansquared error (MMSE) filter. Numerical studies show that the number of required ADC bits with the proposed beamforming falls within the derived theoretical range while achieving the highest SE compared to benchmarks.

Large language models (LLMs) have shown significant potential in guiding embodied agents to execute language instructions across a range of tasks, including robotic manipulation and navigation. However, existing methods are primarily designed for static environments and do not leverage the agent's own experiences to refine its initial plans. Given that real-world environments are inherently stochastic, initial plans based solely on LLMs' general knowledge may fail to achieve their objectives, unlike in static scenarios. To address this limitation, this study introduces the Experience-and-Emotion Map (E2Map), which integrates not only LLM knowledge but also the agent's real-world experiences, drawing inspiration from human emotional responses. The proposed methodology enables one-shot behavior adjustments by updating the E2Map based on the agent's experiences. Our evaluation in stochastic navigation environments, including both simulations and real-world scenarios, demonstrates that the proposed method significantly enhances performance in stochastic environments compared to existing LLM-based approaches. The code and supplementary materials are available at https://e2map.github.io/.

Robots operating in human-centric or hazardous environments must proactively anticipate and mitigate dangers beyond basic obstacle detection. Traditional navigation systems often depend on static maps, which struggle to account for dynamic risks, such as a person emerging from a suddenly opening door. As a result, these systems tend to be reactive rather than anticipatory when handling dynamic hazards. Recent advancements in pre-trained large language models and vision-language models (VLMs) create new opportunities for proactive hazard avoidance. In this work, we propose a zero-shot language-as-cost mapping framework that leverages VLMs to interpret visual scenes, assess potential dynamic risks, and assign risk-aware navigation costs preemptively, enabling robots to anticipate hazards before they materialize. By integrating this language-based cost map with a geometric obstacle map, the robot not only identifies existing obstacles but also anticipates and proactively plans around potential hazards arising from environmental dynamics. Experiments in simulated and diverse dynamic environments demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves navigation success rates and reduces hazard encounters, compared to reactive baseline planners. Code and supplementary materials are available at https://github.com/Taekmino/LaC.

The joint design of secure precoding and artificial noise (AN) transmission scheme is promising to improve secrecy performance. However, in downlink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems with multiple eavesdroppers, joint design of secure precoding and AN structure involves several challenges: an objective function is non-convex and non-smooth, and a precoding matrix and AN matrix have different design principles. Classically, to jointly design precoding and AN covariance matrix, an alternating optimization approach is used which has limitations in terms of the secrecy rate performance since it does not offer joint and simultaneous optimization of the precoding and AN covariance matrices. In this paper, we propose a novel optimization framework that optimizes the precoder and the AN covariance matrix jointly and simultaneously to maximize the secrecy rate. First, we approximate the objective function to a tractable non-convex form. Next, we derive the first-order optimality condition by leveraging the nonlinear eigenvalue problem (NEP) form. Finally, we utilize an efficient technique with low computational complexity for identifying the major eigenvector of the NEP which corresponds to the best stationary point. Simulations illustrate that the proposed methods enhance the secrecy rate performance compared to the existing secure precoding methods.

Secure precoding superimposed with artificial noise (AN) is a promising transmission technique to improve security by harnessing the superposition nature of the wireless medium. However, finding a jointly optimal precoding and AN structure is very challenging in downlink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output wiretap channels with multiple eavesdroppers. The major challenge in maximizing the secrecy rate arises from the non-convexity and non-smoothness of the rate function. Traditionally, an alternating optimization framework that identifies beamforming vectors and AN covariance matrix has been adopted; yet this alternating approach has limitations in maximizing the secrecy rate. In this paper, we put forth a novel secure precoding algorithm that jointly and simultaneously optimizes the beams and AN covariance matrix for maximizing the secrecy rate when a transmitter has either perfect or partial channel knowledge of eavesdroppers. To this end, we first establish an approximate secrecy rate in a smooth function. Then, we derive the first-order optimality condition in the form of the nonlinear eigenvalue problem (NEP). We present a computationally efficient algorithm to identify the principal eigenvector of the NEP as a suboptimal solution for secure precoding. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed methods improve secrecy rate significantly compared to the existing methods.

To realize ultra-reliable low latency communications with high spectral efficiency and security, we investigate a joint optimization problem for downlink communications with multiple users and eavesdroppers in the finite blocklength (FBL) regime. We formulate a multi-objective optimization problem to maximize a sum secrecy rate by developing a secure precoder and to minimize a maximum error probability and information leakage rate. The main challenges arise from the complicated multi-objective problem, non-tractable back-off factors from the FBL assumption, non-convexity and non-smoothness of the secrecy rate, and the intertwined optimization variables. To address these challenges, we adopt an alternating optimization approach by decomposing the problem into two phases: secure precoding design, and maximum error probability and information leakage rate minimization. In the first phase, we obtain a lower bound of the secrecy rate and derive a first-order Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) condition to identify local optimal solutions with respect to the precoders. Interpreting the condition as a generalized eigenvalue problem, we solve the problem by using a power iteration-based method. In the second phase, we adopt a weighted-sum approach and derive KKT conditions in terms of the error probabilities and leakage rates for given precoders. Simulations validate the proposed algorithm.

In this paper, we consider a downlink internet-of-things (IoT) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) network wherein an access point (AP), multiple IoT users, and a single eavesdropper coexist. The eavesdropper attempts to wiretap confidential messages of the IoT users. In the considered system, we solve a sum secrecy rate maximization problem in the finite blocklength (FBL) regime. Due to the FBL, the secrecy rate has a back-off factor with respect to blocklength, decoding error probability, and information leakage, which makes the problem more challenging. The main challenges are: i) the problem is not tractable because of the back-off factor, ii) an objective function is inherently non-convex, and iii) information leakage by the eavesdropper needs to be considered. To address these difficulties, we first obtain a lower bound of the secrecy rate and transform the problem into a product of Rayleigh quotients form. Then, we derive a first-order Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) condition to find a local optimal solution and interpret the condition as a generalized eigenvalue problem. Consequently, we develop a low-complexity algorithm by adopting a generalized power iteration-based (GPI) method. Via simulations, we validate the secrecy rate performance of the proposed method for the short-packet IoT communication systems.

In this paper, we propose a precoding method to maximize energy efficiency (EE) in a downlink multiuser massive multiple-input multiple-output system with low-resolution quantizers. To this end, we formulate an EE maximization problem with respect to precoders by incorporating the quantization errors caused by the low-resolution quantizers. The main challenges exist: i) the quantization errors are entangled with the precoders, ii) a objective function is non-convex, and iii) unlike a spectral efficiency (SE) maximization problem, a precoding power needs to be jointly optimized. To address these challenges, we first adopt a Dinkenbach method and reformulate the EE problem to a more tractable form. We further decompose the problem into an optimal precoding direction and transmit power problems. To find the optimal direction, we derive a first-order Karush–Kuhn–Tucker (KKT) condition and interpret the condition as a generalized eigenvalue problem. Accordingly, adopting a generalized power iteration-based precoding method, we find the principal eigenvector which is the best sub-optimal precoder. Regarding the transmit power optimization, the objective function becomes concave for given other variables. Hence, the transmit power level is optimized by using a gradient descent method. Via simulations, we demonstrate that the proposed algorithm provides the highest EE performance compared to baseline methods.