Digital-Twin-Enabled 6G: Vision, Architectural Trends, and Future Directions
Abstract
Internet of Everything (IoE) applications such as haptics, human-computer interaction, and extended reality, using the sixth-generation (6G) of wireless systems have diverse requirements in terms of latency, reliability, data rate, and user-defined performance metrics. Therefore, enabling IoE applications over 6G requires a new framework that can be used to manage, operate, and optimize the 6G wireless system and its underlying IoE services. Such a new framework for 6G can be based on digital twins. Digital twins use a virtual representation of the 6G physical system along with the associated algorithms (e.g., machine learning, optimization), communication technologies (e.g., millimeter-wave and terahertz communication), computing systems (e.g., edge computing and cloud computing), as well as privacy and security-related technologists (e.g., blockchain). First, we present the key design requirements for enabling 6G through the use of a digital twin. Next, the architectural components and trends such as edge-based twins, cloud-based-twins, and edge-cloud-based twins are presented. Furthermore, we provide a comparative description of various twins. Finally, we outline and recommend guidelines for several future research directions.
- Publication:
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arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- February 2021
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.2102.12169
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2102.12169
- Bibcode:
- 2021arXiv210212169K
- Keywords:
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- Computer Science - Networking and Internet Architecture
- E-Print:
- This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessible