Page 30 - ITU Journal Future and evolving technologies Volume 2 (2021), Issue 6 – Wireless communication systems in beyond 5G era

ITU Journal on Future and Evolving Technologies, Volume 2 (2021), Issue 6

going to greatly increase. In fact, the increasing number
of sensors allows for iner and more precise assisted op‐
erations. Next, these heterogeneous sensors will also im‐
ply continuous heterogeneous data collection and trans‐
mission to a dedicated intelligent edge within the cam‐
pus network. Intelligence will not only be applied for
network management and operations but also for robots
training, acting, and deciding in order to better work au‐
tonomously or to assist humans. Thus, 6G campus net‐
works will represent specialised and local networks of
networks, providing high edge computing resources for
such massive data handling.

5.3 The tactile internet and digital twins
ThetactileInternetandhaptic communications ingeneral
have been important drivers of 5G in the context of URLLC
[104]. While today’s Internet has been democratising in‐
formation sharing, the tactile Internet has been target‐
ing the democratisation of accessing skills and expertise,
in order to promote equal possibilities for people of dif‐
ferent ages, cultural backgrounds, geographical prove‐
nience, or physical limitations. In this context, the term
’tactile’ describes the transmission of haptic information
(related to touch and other senses) in order to actually
feel and touch things in the virtual reality. Until now,
only audiovisual information has been transmitted on the
Internet and on wireless communication networks. The
advent of the tactile Internet will dramatically change
the way we learn (e.g., how to play the piano or various
sports), how we work, or how we are assisted by ma‐
chines as we age (see Fig. 10). This new form of collabora‐
tion between humans and machines also underscores the
factthatdigitisationwillhelpeconomicandsocialgrowth,
which have been important political requirements for 6G.
Fig. 10 recalls the concept previously expressed about
the need for 6G campus networks. A massive employ‐
ment of sensors will involve various aspects and activi‐ Fig. 10 – Vision of the Tactile Internet: Learning in medicine, industry
ties of human life. This will not only be limited to indus‐ and sports (Copyright: CeTI, TU Dresden – free to use).
trial activities but it will embrace more and more com‐ kinds of data streams (audio, video and haptic), with dif‐
plex human operations like sports, remote medical assis‐ ferent KPI to be concurrently satis ied. In fact, not only
tance and surgery, etc. The conceptual depiction of Fig. 10 the input from the master should be transmitted to the
gives an idea of what massive and ubiquitous availability controlled device, but also the input from the controlled
of the tactile Internet will imply. 6G unspecialised public entity should be rapidly and reliably sent back to the mas‐
networks will face unprecedented data communications, ter. This allows the master for the successful and cor‐
storage, and processing of heterogeneous data, consider‐ rect perception of the remote action, which has been per‐
ing low‐latency requirements. These contexts cannot be formed. In fact, the scope behind the design is to make the
supported by 5G technologies and their mere evolution. communication between the so‐called tactile edges seam‐
less, without sensing the negative contributions of the
While 5G has mainly been addressing communication be‐ intermediate‐communication Network domain (latency,
tween machines, whereas 6G will look more closely at the losses, etc.).
cooperation between humans and machines. Technically,
the Tactile Internet with Human‐in‐the‐Loop (TaHiL) In 6G, the TaHiL will complete the shift from content‐
[105] considers communication between the Master Do‑ oriented to control‐oriented communication. This aspect
main, usually humans, and the Controlled Domain, which is still very far from current 5G standardization status, so
consists of machines. The peculiar characteristic of TaHiL it will be hard to see it clearly in the next releases. That
communication is the fact of being a two‐way communi‐ is why, the TaHiL with the full realisation of end‐to‐end
cation (i.e. with feedback), which multiplexes different URLLC will see its zenith within the 6G era, and thanks to

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