Digital Twin-Enabled Blockage-Aware Dynamic mmWave Multi-Hop V2X Communication

Abstract: Millimeter wave (mmWave) technology in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication offers unprecedented data rates and low latency, but faces significant reliability challenges due to signal blockages and limited range. This paper introduces a novel system for managing dynamic multi-hop mmWave V2X communications in complex blocking environments. We present a system architecture that integrates a mobility digital twin (DT) with the multi-hop routing control plane, providing a comprehensive, real-time view of the network and its surrounding traffic environment. This integration enables the control plane to make informed routing decisions based on rich contextual data about vehicles, infrastructure, and potential signal blockages. Leveraging this DT-enhanced architecture, we propose an advanced routing algorithm that combines high-precision environmental data with trajectory prediction to achieve blockage-aware mmWave multi-hop V2X routing. Our algorithm anticipates network topology changes and adapts topology dynamically to maintain reliable connections. We evaluate our approach through proof-of-concept simulations using a mobility DT of the Nishishinjuku area. Results demonstrate that our DT-enabled routing strategy significantly outperforms conventional methods in maintaining reliable mmWave V2X connections across various traffic scenarios, including fully connected and mixed traffic environments.