Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis

Amorosa, Lorenzo Mario; Caputo, Stefano; Mucchi, Lorenzo; Pasolini, Gianni

doi:10.3390/jsan15010002

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Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis

¹

Department of Electrical, Electronic and Information Engineering, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy

²

WiLab—National Wireless Communication Laboratory (CNIT), 40133 Bologna, Italy

³

Department of Information Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Sens. Actuator Netw. 2026, 15(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/jsan15010002

Submission received: 17 November 2025 / Revised: 12 December 2025 / Accepted: 18 December 2025 / Published: 23 December 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Industrial Networks of the Future Across the Edge-to-Cloud Continuum)

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Abstract

This paper addresses the confidentiality of wireless communications in industrial internet-of-things environments by investigating the feasibility of secret key generation for link-layer encryption using UWB signals. Taking advantage of the nanosecond-level temporal resolution offered by ultra wideband, we exploit channel reciprocity to extract highly detailed, noise-like channel measurements, in line with the physical-layer security paradigm. Three key generation algorithms, operating in both the time and frequency domains, are evaluated using real-world data collected through a dedicated measurement campaign in an industrial setting. The analysis, conducted under realistic conditions, examines the impact of practical impairments, such as imperfect channel reciprocity and timing misalignments, on the key agreement rate and the length of the generated keys. The results confirm the strong potential of ultra wideband technology to enable robust physical-layer security, offering a viable and efficient solution for securing wireless communications in complex and dynamic industrial internet-of-things environments.

Keywords: physical-layer security; ultra wideband (UWB); industrial internet-of-things (IIoT); secret key generation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Amorosa, L.M.; Caputo, S.; Mucchi, L.; Pasolini, G. Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis. J. Sens. Actuator Netw. 2026, 15, 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/jsan15010002

AMA Style

Amorosa LM, Caputo S, Mucchi L, Pasolini G. Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis. Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks. 2026; 15(1):2. https://doi.org/10.3390/jsan15010002

Chicago/Turabian Style

Amorosa, Lorenzo Mario, Stefano Caputo, Lorenzo Mucchi, and Gianni Pasolini. 2026. "Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis" Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks 15, no. 1: 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/jsan15010002

APA Style

Amorosa, L. M., Caputo, S., Mucchi, L., & Pasolini, G. (2026). Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis. Journal of Sensor and Actuator Networks, 15(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/jsan15010002

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Robust Physical-Layer Key Generation Using UWB in Industrial IoT: A Measurement-Based Analysis

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