A Taxonomical Survey of Metasurface Sensing for Environmental Monitoring in 6G Perceptive Networks

Environmental monitoring has become increasingly critical due to climatic change and ecological instability. As wireless networks evolve toward perceptive 6G architectures, Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) enables sensing as an inherent functionality of communication systems, introducing hardware complexities and constraints. Electromagnetic (EM) metasurfaces offer a promising solution by enabling precise control over the phase, amplitude, and polarization of EM waves. Despite rapid advances in the field of metasurface design, there is currently a lack of consolidated research on these technologies. To address this gap, this study provides a comprehensive survey and taxonomy that categorizes metasurface sensors by their physical structures, sensing mechanisms, operating frequency regimes, degree of reconfigurability, and intended environmental targets. The research further evaluates notable designs against key performance metrics, highlighting the fundamental trade-offs between factors such as sensitivity, robustness, and deployment feasibility. This work is intended to provide a reference for the development of resilient environmental sensors for 6G networks.