Proof-of-Concept of Digital Twin for Road Safety Assisted by B5G Heterogeneous MEC Network

The commercialization of 5G has been initiated for a while. Yet, we haven't seen wide penetrations of the disruptive applications as promised, like the extended reality (XR), internet of vehicles (IoV), telesurgery, etc. Digital twins (DTs) are one of these highly anticipated applications. However, DTs demand all 5G capabilities, including enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC) simultaneously, which makes their implementation more challenging. Owing to the advanced sensing, communication, and computing networks for beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G at Tokyo Institute of Technology, we are able to build a real-time DT on campus and demonstrate two smart mobility applications for safety and traffic efficiency, respectively, by utilizing DT-derived knowledge. Our demonstrations will convince society of the values and potentials of DTs and encourage current 5G progress towards B5G and 6G.