A review of 6G autonomous intelligent transportation systems: Mechanisms, applications and challenges

Abstract

Thanks to the explosive evolution of 6G, Artificial intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud computing, Data, and Edge computing (6G+ABCDE), it is possible to make Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) more autonomous, intelligent, and efficient. Conventional ITS technologies have been applied and deployed worldwide, and autonomous vehicles have also made a qualitative leap. The revolution of ITS magnitude is on the horizon, and the singularity may happen in the 6G Autonomous Intelligent Transportation Systems (6G-AITS). We indicate that the human-centric transportation system will still be the key to 6G-AITS. The 6G-AITS is a three-dimensional intelligent system, which is driven by data and intelligence, and characterized by sharing and collaboration, thereby achieving the service-oriented demand response. To support this vision, we explore the 6G-AITS changes in terms of system architecture, communication, and resource allocation, as well as its key features. We elaborate on the mechanism and three applications of 6G-AITS. Furthermore, we explore the challenges of 6G-AITS and consider some issues that go beyond technologies that could affect the development of 6G-AITS. Key objective of this work is to provide an exploration of the imperative requirements to develop 6G-AITS and guidance for the research and development of 6G-AITS.