By the end of this decade, 6G wireless networks are predicted to offer not only ultra-fast communications but also the ability to sense the location of objects within the network, opening up a new world of possibilities for traffic management systems. .Find out more from Christopher Court-Dobson
6G is more than just a speed and capacity upgrade. This will be a key enabler for multiple integrated technologies, all of which will have a significant impact on transportation technology.
New communication networks are being built using the terahertz spectrum, which includes what is known as T-rays. They are between 0.3 and 3 terahertz (THz). The wavelength is much shorter than visible light and lies between infrared and microwave. It may be better known as a safer alternative to X-rays used in airport body scanners.
This is a largely untapped portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, with higher frequencies than any previous generation.
“With every generation, we strive to open up new frequencies. 5G opened up millimeter wave frequencies. We will continue with 6G what we started with 5G and aim to open up terahertz frequencies.” said Walid Saad, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech who works at the intersection of wireless communications, AI, statistical physics, and gaming. He is one of the most cited researchers in the world in the field of theory and physical analysis.
“Ubiquitous networks become a source of situational awareness, collating signals reflected from objects to determine their type and shape, relative position, velocity, and even material properties.”
Peter Vetter, Director, Nokia Bell Labs Core Research
“This is not just a wireless communication system, it’s a radio system. We said from the beginning that 6G doesn’t just provide communication, it also provides other services. It’s basically sensing the environment. ” Saad says.
This is because T-rays are part of the electromagnetic spectrum and are easily blocked and reflected by physical objects. Lower frequencies benefit from longer range, but as they pass through solid materials, T-rays are bounced back. And it is its reflection that can be measured at the same point as the emitter.
“Ubiquitous networks can become a source of situational awareness, collating signals reflected from objects to determine their type and shape, relative position, velocity, and even material properties,” said Dr. said one Peter Vetter. He will develop the 6G system.
The implications for transportation technology are significant. 6G stations could replace or augment roadside sensors, and could even be installed in enabled vehicles themselves. This could mean replacing many of the 100-plus sensors currently installed in connected vehicles with more streamlined terahertz-based technology.
“As 5G is commercially deployed and enables state-of-the-art technology-rich structures that power smart cities, factories, precision agriculture, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics, demand for and connectivity will increase. loads will require new advanced technologies: agile, cognitive architectures that automatically deploy new services optimized for these applications,” says Vetter.
digital twin
There is also the possibility that 6G data can be used to build 3D composite environments. At the intersection of 6G, AI, and transportation technologies, there are ongoing efforts to develop digital twins of the physical world. Currently, such models typically rely on his LIDAR and advanced video analytics to create and update, but 6G could offer a more streamlined solution and ultimately be much less costly. There is a gender.
“Think of a digital twin like a VR environment that displays the entire system,” says Saad. “You can do anything you want with a digital twin. You can move the car, start a communication link, and reflect that in the system.” It can be used not only in the real world, but also as a simulation. ”
“Digital twins can relate to 6G in two ways. One is that there is a twin that models a physical system, such as a vehicle. Second, there is a twin that actually simulates the 6G system itself. can be modeled and controlled.”
Walid Saad, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech
6G not only provides digital twins with the ability to communicate information in real time, but also has the potential to work within them, using them as an interface.
“So digital twins can be relevant to 6G in two ways,” Saad said. “One is that we have a twin that models a physical system, such as a vehicle. Second, we can actually simulate the 6G system itself to model and control it.”
Self-driving and connected cars could become a key component of the digital mirror. Their 6G station can sense the environment and contribute to the virtual environment at the same time. Saad says terahertz could come into play when building digital twins. “You may sense the environment and transmit it to create a direct twin connection between the two.”
Resilience and reliability
“Using terahertz is great because you have a lot of bandwidth available. It’s not very congested. It gives you high rates. The challenge is that it’s very brittle,” Saad says.
It’s that vulnerability, that lack of trust, that Saad and his colleagues have been grappling with.
“Terahertz frequencies are unreliable because they are very easily blocked. Their range is very small. But even if the range is improved, even a small misalignment between transmitter and receiver It is not reliable because the link is lost.”
When it comes to vehicles, links are very important for safety and smooth functioning.
“Unlike when you’re using Facebook or playing a VR game, it’s okay if there’s a glitch in your communication system. ,” says Saad.
By leveraging AI, Saad and colleagues have developed an early prototype that can quickly recover if the link is lost. “We showed that using terahertz in sensing and communications co-designed with AI can increase resilience, especially for AI-augmented reality applications,” he says.
Achieving effective reliability and resiliency while maintaining very high data rates and low latency is a major hurdle to overcome in implementing autonomous and connected car systems. “But to be honest, with today’s deployments, we have not yet achieved real-world reliability,” Saad said.
However, the vulnerability of terahertz communications is offset by its ability to transmit terabytes of data with very low latency. “Think of terahertz as a binary link: You either get a huge instantaneous burst of data, or you get nothing,” Saad says.
zero delay
Saad said the current goal is to have zero delays. “Let me be a little clear: When I talk about reliability, I’m not just talking about providing resilience. I’m not just talking about delivering without errors, but below a certain latency. Delivering without errors is also important.”
Latency is not a specific characteristic of the terahertz frequency, but has a lot to do with the design of all the components and how they are set to interact.
“There will be delays throughout the core network,” Saad said. “Much of the industry is trying to find ways to reduce the number of routers needed to get from point A to point B.”
This is important because traffic applications are much more latency sensitive than other virtual infrastructures.
AI native
5G rollout begins in 2018 and assumes a world without advanced AI.
“We’re not just going to be using smartphones, we’re going to be using VR headsets, we’re going to be using connected cars and drones. So to deal with this, we need a system that’s as intelligent as the services we provide. That’s where AI comes in,” says Saad.
AI will not only be implemented in end-use technologies such as vehicles, but will also be built into 6G networks themselves. Saad explains, “6G will be what is called an AI-native system, which means that AI will be built in from the beginning.”
Enabling blockchain
The 6G network’s ability to sense its environment, its pervasive nature, and the extent to which safety-critical technologies rely on it raise obvious privacy and security concerns. Blockchain could play a key role in both cases, allowing access only to those who have the necessary digital keys.
“There are two aspects to working with 6G: more secure networks and better privacy. This will help vehicle networks because much of the information obtained from vehicles needs to be private. ” Saad says.
Data from connected cars is currently anonymized within the EU. However, it is even better to give end users effective control over who can access their data.
What’s next?
AI-assisted 6G is not the final stage of communications. Saad and his colleagues are working on quantum networks that may one day enable instantaneous communication regardless of distance.
But 6G is likely to be big news for at least the next decade, with full commercialization expected in the next six years. “AI integration and twin technology in 6G will help create this massive, reliable, and pervasive connectivity. There will be intelligent agents, including AI-powered vehicles, and your mind will also be on the network. It could be connected,” Saad said.
The rollout will occur in a series of stages, with 5G-Advanced being rolled out in between. There is also significant work to be done regarding 6G standardization.
“We expect 6G to be commercially launched by 2030. Standardization phase 1 will likely begin in 2025, with the first 6G specification completed in 3GPP Release 21 by 2028. Then around 2030 commercial expansion will continue,” predicts Vetter.
You can read the full version of this feature in the December 2023 issue of TTi Magazine.
