Abstract
We study channel-aware binary-decision fusion over a shared flat-fading channel with multiple antennas at the Fusion Center (FC). This paper considers the aid of a Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) to effectively convey the information of the phenomenon of interest to the FC and foster energy-efficient data analytics supporting the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. We present the optimal rule and derive a (sub-optimal) joint fusion rule & RIS design, representing an alternative with reduced complexity and lower system knowledge required. Simulation results for performance are presented showing the benefit of RIS adoption even in a suboptimal case.