A Survey on Wireless Data Aggregation Through Over-the-Air Computation

In next-generation communications, it is anticipated that accommodating extremely massive access will pose challenges due to the high density of Internet-of-Things (IoT) nodes and the limited wireless resources of traditional wireless data aggregation (WDA) techniques. Unlike the conventional orthogonal multiple access methods, over-the-air computation (Aircomp) allows multiple access over the same resources through the waveform superposition property of wireless channels, thereby supporting highly efficient WDA. This paper addresses the approach of Aircomp and reviews existing research on the wireless applications facilitated by Aircomp.