Energy Efficient Cyber-Twin Empowered UAV Assisted MEC Network for IoT: Challenges and Solution

The ever-increasing amount of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, along with increasing requirements for real-time data analyzing, has given rise to Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), a possible solution. MEC operates by moving processing workloads from resource constrained IoT devices to adjacent edge servers, allowing for speedier analysis of information. However, the resource utilization of these edge servers represents a major concern, particularly in regional or dynamic environments. This is where Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) come in. Owing to their pliability and nimbleness, UAVs enabled by Cyber-Twin (CT) have emerged as possible servers-out-of-reach for distant locations with a new twist on existing infrastructure. This study examines the fascinating possibility of UAVs in improving power consumption across MEC environments. It starts by examining MEC principles and energy issues at edge nodes. Next, discussion leads to the idea of CT empowered UAV assisted MEC which highlights the distinctions between UAVs like flexibility, dexterity, deployment immediacy, etc. In addition, this work explores various techniques and methods that can be used to improve energy utilization in CT empowered UAV-assisted MEC networks such as load shifting techniques, trajectory modeling techniques, resource allocation approaches among others that are aimed at reducing energy consumption yet satisfying application requirements. Finally, actual situations and experimental results are employed to indicate how Cyber-twin empowered UAV-assisted MEC improves energy efficiency and system performance as a whole.