Digital Twin-empowered intelligent computation offloading for edge computing in the era of 5G and beyond: A state-of-the-art survey

Abstract

Edge computing has emerged as a promising paradigm for addressing the latency, bandwidth, and scalability challenges associated with traditional cloud-centric architectures. Computation offloading, the process of transferring computational tasks from edge devices to more powerful remote servers or cloud infrastructure, plays a crucial role in optimizing performance and resource utilization in edge computing systems. However, traditional computation offloading techniques often face limitations related to latency, network dependency, and scalability. In this survey, we explore the integration of digital twin (DT) technology into edge computing environments to empower intelligent computation offloading decisions. DTs, virtual representations of physical entities or systems that mirror their real-world counterparts, offer opportunities to enhance situational awareness, optimize resource allocation, and enable more informed decision-making at the edge. We provide a comprehensive overview of DTs empowered intelligent computation offloading, covering the fundamentals of DTs, traditional computation offloading techniques, and their limitations in edge computing. Additionally, we discuss how DTs can address these challenges and improve computation offloading strategies, along with practical applications and use cases across various domains. Finally, we identify open research challenges and opportunities for future exploration in this emerging field. Through this survey, we aim to provide researchers, practitioners, and stakeholders with insights into the potential of DTs to revolutionize computation offloading for edge computing and drive innovation in this rapidly evolving area.