UAV-Assisted Dynamic Avatar Task Migration for Vehicular Metaverse Services: A Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach

Avatars, as promising digital representations and service assistants of users in Metaverses, can enable drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in 3D virtual services and spaces of UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses. However, avatar tasks include a multitude of human-to-avatar and avatar-to-avatar interactive applications, e.g., augmented reality navigation,which consumes intensive computing resources. It is inefficient and impractical for vehicles to process avatar tasks locally. Fortunately, migrating avatar tasks to the nearest roadside units(RSU)or unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) for execution is a promising solution to decrease computation overhead and reduce task processing latency, while the high mobility of vehicles brings challenges for vehicles to independently perform avatar migration decisions depending on current and future vehicle status. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose a novel avatar task migration system based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning(MADRL) to execute immersive vehicular avatar tasks dynamically. Specifically, we first formulate the problem of avatar task migration from vehicles to RSUs/UAVs as a partially observable Markov decision process that can be solved by MADRL algorithms. We then design the multi-agent proximal policy optimization(MAPPO) approach as the MADRL algorithm for the avatar task migration problem. To overcome slow convergence resulting from the curse of dimensionality and non-stationary issues caused by shared parameters in MAPPO, we further propose a transformer-based MAPPO approach via sequential decision-making models for the efficient representation of relationships among agents. Finally, to motivate terrestrial or non-terrestrial edge servers(e.g., RSUs or UAVs) to share computation resources and ensure traceability of the sharing records, we apply smart contracts and blockchain technologies to achieve secure sharing management. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the MAPPO approach by around 2% and effectively reduces approximately 20% of the latency of avatar task execution in UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses.

Federated Learning for 6G Communications:Challenges,Methods,and Future Directions

As the 5G communication networks are being widely deployed worldwide,both industry and academia have started to move beyond 5G and explore 6G communications.It is generally believed that 6G will be established on ubiquitous Artificial Intelligence(AI)to achieve data-driven Machine Learning(ML)solutions in heterogeneous and massive-scale networks.However,traditional ML techniques require centralized data collection and processing by a central server,which is becoming a bottleneck of large-scale implementation in daily life due to significantly increasing privacy concerns.Federated learning,as an emerging distributed AI approach with privacy preservation nature,is particularly attractive for various wireless applications,especially being treated as one of the vital solutions to achieve ubiquitous AI in 6G.In this article,we first introduce the integration of 6G and federated learning and provide potential federated learning applications for 6G.We then describe key technical challenges,the corresponding federated learning methods,and open problems for future research on federated learning in the context of 6G communications.

基于深度强化学习的算力网络主动防御方法

算力网络旨在深度融合算力资源与网络资源,实现多种资源的高效协同,最大化资源利用率.算力网络边缘部分通常采用分布式软件定义网络架构,构建逻辑集中但物理分散的控制平面,并将其与数据平面分离,实现全网算力资源与网络资源的统一调度与编排.然而,攻击者极易将控制平面作为首要攻击目标,发起分布式拒绝服务攻击(distributed denial of service,DDoS),使控制平面大面积失效,严重影响计算任务的实时传输.为了解决算力网络中的安全问题,本文创新性地提出了基于深度强化学习的算力网络主动防御方法.首先,构建了马尔可夫决策过程(Markov decision process,MDP)模型来准确表征交换机与控制器映射关系的动态性,并设计了一种基于节点介数的奖励函数来反映DDoS攻击对控制器部署方案的影响.其次,综合考虑多种网络约束,将多控制器部署问题建模为约束满足问题,其可行解空间即为MDP模型的动作空间.最后,提出了一种基于深度强化学习的主动防御算法,迭代优化动作选择策略,智能化选择多控制器部署方案.实验结果表明,该方法在网络性能几乎无损的前提下,相比基准方法能够分别提升13%和8%的防御成功率.

6G-Enabled Edge AI for Metaverse:Challenges, Methods,and Future Research Directions

Sixth generation(6G)enabled edge intelligence opens up a new era of Internet of everything and makes it possible to interconnect people-devices-cloud anytime,anywhere.More and more next-generation wireless network smart service applications are changing our way of life and improving our quality of life.As the hottest new form of next-generation Internet applications,Metaverse is striving to connect billions of users and create a shared world where virtual and reality merge.However,limited by resources,computing power,and sensory devices,Metaverse is still far from realizing its full vision of immersion,materialization,and interoperability.To this end,this survey aims to realize this vision through the organic integration of 6G-enabled edge artificial intelligence(AI)and Metaverse.Specifically,we first introduce three new types of edge-Metaverse architectures that use 6G-enabled edge AI to solve resource and computing constraints in Metaverse.Then we summarize technical challenges that these architectures face in Metaverse and the existing solutions.Furthermore,we explore how the edge-Metaverse architecture technology helps Metaverse to interact and share digital data.Finally,we discuss future research directions to realize the true vision of Metaverse with 6G-enabled edge AI.