Toward a Tactile Internet Reference Architecture: Vision and Progress of the IEEE P1918.1 Standard

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive reference architecture for the Tactile Internet based on IEEE P1918.1 standards, detailing key components, interfaces, and protocols, supported by a case study and performance evaluation.

Contribution

It introduces a standardized reference architecture for the Tactile Internet, integrating recent IEEE P1918.1 developments and providing a framework for future implementations.

Findings

Performance is significantly affected by functional capabilities.

The architecture enhances user-level utility in Tactile Internet applications.

The case study validates the proposed framework.

Abstract

The term Tactile Internet broadly refers to a communication network which is capable of delivering control, touch, and sensing/actuation information in real-time. The Tactile Internet is currently a topic of interest for various standardization bodies. The emerging IEEE P1918.1 standards working group is focusing on defining a framework for the Tactile Internet. The main objective of this article is to present a reference architecture for the Tactile Internet based on the latest developments within the IEEE P1918.1 standard. The article provides an in-depth treatment of various architectural aspects including the key entities, the interfaces, the functional capabilities and the protocol stack. A case study has been presented as a manifestation of the architecture. Performance evaluation demonstrates the impact of functional capabilities and the underlying enablers on user-level utility pertaining to a generic Tactile Internet application.