Universal Transceivers: Opportunities and Future Directions for the Internet of Everything (IoE)

Abstract

The Internet of Everything (IoE) is a recently introduced information and communication technology (ICT) framework promising for extending the human connectivity to the entire universe, which itself can be regarded as a natural IoE, an interconnected network of everything we perceive. The countless number of opportunities that can be enabled by IoE through a blend of heterogeneous ICT technologies across different scales and environments and a seamless interface with the natural IoE impose several fundamental challenges, such as interoperability, ubiquitous connectivity, energy efficiency, and miniaturization.The key to address these challenges is to advance our communication technology to match the multi-scale, multi-modal, and dynamic features of the natural IoE. To this end, we introduce a new communication device concept, namely the universal IoE transceiver, that encompasses transceiver architectures that are characterized by multi-modality in communication (with modalities such as molecular, RF/THz, optical and acoustic) and in energy harvesting (with modalities such as mechanical, solar, biochemical), modularity, tunability, and scalability. Focusing on these fundamental traits, we provide an overview of the opportunities that can be opened up by micro/nanoscale universal transceiver architectures towards realizing the IoE applications. We also discuss the most pressing challenges in implementing such transceivers and briefly review the open research directions. Our discussion is particularly focused on the opportunities and challenges pertaining to the IoE physical layer, which can enable the efficient and effective design of higher-level techniques. We believe that such universal transceivers can pave the way for seamless connection and communication with the universe at a deeper level and pioneer the construction of the forthcoming IoE landscape.

Universal Transceivers: Opportunities and Future Directions for the Internet of Everything (IoE)

“…For example, wind turbine blades coated with GO and epoxy nanocomposites demonstrated reduced lighting damages and increased energy harvesting efficiency [137]. Despite being implemented at macroscale, this example showcases the potential of GRMs in addressing real-world challenges, which could be adapted for micro/nanoscale IoBNT through miniaturization [1].…”

“…We recently introduced a device concept called universal transceivers [1], characterized by multi-modality (in communication and energy harvesting), modularity, tunability, and scalability (to micro/nanoscales). Universal Tx/Rx architectures possessing these attributes can address the major interoperability challenges in realizing the emerging Internet of Everything (IoE) paradigm.…”

“…Universal Tx/Rx architectures possessing these attributes can address the major interoperability challenges in realizing the emerging Internet of Everything (IoE) paradigm. This paradigm has the potential to revolutionize our interaction with the physical world [1] by integrating various Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and applications, including IoBNT.…”

“…including the complex biotic world, ultimately serving the holistic Internet of Everything (IoE) vision [1]- [3].…”

Terahertz Wireless Communications in Space

“…The power and size requirements of FSO systems far exceed the limitations of cube/micro/nanosatellites. On the other hand, building THz transceivers with a large number of antenna arrays, i.e., phased Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MIMO) arrays, in a small footprint, is possible thanks to novel materials such as graphene [11]. Thus, for long-distance and high-data-rate near-Earth transmission, THz communications can be leveraged in the future.…”