# Information Density as a Quantitative Measure for AI-enabled Virtual Sensing: Feasibility and Limits

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.08180 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2605.08180/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 4 of its 48 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 5 May 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 4 of 4)

- [Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1412.6980/) (2014)
- [Virtual Sensing-Enabled Digital Twin Framework for Real-Time Monitoring of Nuclear Systems Leveraging Deep Neural Operators](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.13762/) (2024)
- [Graph Neural Networks for Virtual Sensing in Complex Systems: Addressing Heterogeneous Temporal Dynamics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.18691/) (2024)
- [Data-driven Modality Fusion: An AI-enabled Framework for Large-Scale Sensor Network Management](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.04937/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Modern IoT and sensor networks generate vast amounts of data, posing significant challenges for storage, transmission, and real-time processing. Traditional approaches, such as compressive sensing and machine learning-based compression, often suffer from computational inefficiencies and irreversible data loss. This paper introduces Information Density as a quantitative metric to support sensor deployment and enable AI-driven virtual sensing. We propose a framework that leverages spatial, temporal and inter-modal correlations among sensor signals to perform sensing tasks even in the absence of physical sensors. Two complementary measures: (i) Phase in Eigen Space and (ii) Mutual Information, are developed to quantify and assess information density, enabling the selection of optimal sensor configurations across both intra-modality and cross-modality scenarios. Validated using real-world data from Madrid's smart city infrastructure, this framework demonstrates the feasibility of replacing physical sensors with virtual ones under bounded error conditions (e.g., achieving <3.21% mean error with a single sensor). The results highlight the potential for scalable and energy-efficient sensing systems in smart environments.