Modern intelligent systems, ranging from autonomous vehicles and smart industrial environments to immersive augmented reality, are driving an unprecedented demand for ubiquitous connectivity and precise environmental perception. While the terrestrial radio frequency (RF) spectrum becomes increasingly congested, optical wireless communication (OWC) has emerged as a powerful complementary technology. OWC offers enormous unlicensed bandwidth, inherent security at the physical layer, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and the potential for extremely dense, high-capacity networks. Beyond data transmission, the optical spectrum offers exceptional capabilities for high-resolution sensing and centimeter-level positioning, leveraging the short wavelength of light for superior spatial resolution.

The parallel evolution and potential convergence of these capabilities are fostering a new ecosystem of intelligent applications. For instance, in industrial automation, optical links can support high-speed robotic control while simultaneously performing real-time localization and mapping (SLAM). Similarly, in intelligent transportation systems, optical wireless technology facilitates vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication while enhancing situational awareness through precise ranging. Furthermore, in complex environments such as underwater or non-line-of-sight scenarios, ultraviolet and blue-green laser technologies are opening new frontiers for secure connectivity and environmental monitoring.

This special issue aims to capture the latest research breakthroughs, system-level innovations, and novel applications in the broad area of optical wireless communication and sensing. We invite researchers to submit original research papers that explore the advancements in communication, sensing, and their synergistic integration in intelligent autonomous systems.

Specific research topics suitable for this special issue include, but are not limited to:

• Channel modeling, signal processing, and resource management for optical wireless communication and sensing
• System design and analysis for optical wireless communication and sensing
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning for optical wireless communication and sensing
• High-precision optical wireless positioning for indoor and outdoor intelligent applications
• Optical camera communications (OCC) and its application in smart monitoring and interaction
• Free-space optical (FSO) communications for backhaul and device-to-device links in complex environments
• Optical wireless vehicular communication and networking (V2X)
• Satellite, air-water, and underwater optical wireless communication and sensing systems
• Ultraviolet (UV) communication and sensing for non-line-of-sight scenarios
• Energy-efficient optical wireless communication and sensing strategies
• Physical layer security and quantum communication in optical wireless networks
• Optimization of networking protocols and hardware for integrated optical systems

All manuscripts submitted to the special issue will be subjected to peer review. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their completed manuscript to https://mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/icnjournal with “Special Issue on Optical Wireless Communication and Sensing for Intelligent Systems” as Article Type.

Important Date

Manuscript Due: December 31, 2026

Guest Editors

Prof. Fang Yang (Lead)

Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, China

E-mail: fangyang@tsinghua.edu.cn

Prof. Sicong Liu

Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Xiamen University, China

E-mail: liusc@xmu.edu.cn

Prof. Chen Gong

Department of Electronic and Information Science, University of Science and Technology of China, China

E-mail: cgong821@ustc.edu.cn

Prof. Julian Cheng

School of Engineering, The University of British Columbia, Canada

E-mail: julian.cheng@ubc.ca