A Perspective Vision of Micro/Nano Systems and Technologies as Enablers of 6G, Super-IoT and Future Networks – January 2023 IEEE Future Networks Webinar

Looking to 2030, the future data- and communication-centric paradigms of 6G, Super-IoT (Internet of Things), and Tactile Internet (TI) will require leaps forth at technology and, notably, at a conceptual level. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be a cornerstone both on the service and network operation plane, leveraging self-sustenance and self-evolution of the infrastructure. Within such a context, the currently-in-use design methods for hardware-software (HW-SW) systems are regarded as increasingly less suitable to meet the challenge fully.

In this webinar from the  IEEE Future Networks Technical Community, Jacopo Iannacci focuses on low-complexity HW components, like sensors, actuators, and transducers, gathering attention around Micro/Nano (MEMS/NEMS) technologies. Reinforcement of the HW versus SW separation and symmetry is proposed, overcoming the so-called HW-SW divide. Partial reformulation of the HW concept is proposed, leveraging the parallelism of HW/SW with classical elements in nature. The resulting frame of reference is named the WEAF Mnecosystem (Water, Earth, Air, and Fire Micro/Nanotechnologies Ecosystem). It embodies solutions based on Micro/Nanotechnologies, regarded as pivotal in the transition to 6G/TI. Then, the WEAF Mnecosystem landscape is populated by reporting state-of-the-art research activities based on Micro/Nanotechnologies, identified as key enablers of the future paradigms at stake.

Iannacci’s work was also featured in the January 2023 issue of the Proceedings of the IEEE. For more information on IEEE Future Networks, visit https://futurenetworks.ieee.org/