With the advancements of high-resolution cameras, highly sensitive photodetectors, and energy-efficient light-emitting-diodes, optical wireless communication (OWC) has emerged as key-enabling technology for 6G. Similarly, digital twin (DT) technology has recently been proposed to meet the diverse requirements of emerging applications and provide efficient optimization of the overall system resources by enabling self-sustaining and proactive online learning. Within DT, various technology disciplines, including big data, artificial intelligence, intelligent computing, communication, and security-aware technologies, are integrated to create a virtual replica that reflects the physical system. Motivated by this, this paper discusses DT and its role in the reliable and ubiquitous implementation of OWC networks. We first provide an overview of this emerging research area by offering insights into the key enabling technologies and potential applications in the context of smart-autonomous OWC networks. Subsequently, we provide recent advancements and design aspects related to DT-assisted OWC systems. Finally, future research directions and the impact of different system factors on the overall network performance are discussed. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first in-depth review in the literature on the integration of DT with OWC networks.

中文翻译：

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数字孪生辅助 OWC：迈向智能自主 6G 网络


随着高分辨率相机、高灵敏度光电探测器和节能发光二极管的进步，光无线通信 (OWC) 已成为 6G 的关键支持技术。同样，数字孪生（DT）技术最近被提出来满足新兴应用的多样化需求，并通过实现自我维持和主动的在线学习来提供整个系统资源的有效优化。在DT中，集成了各种技术学科，包括大数据、人工智能、智能计算、通信和安全感知技术，以创建反映物理系统的虚拟副本。受此启发，本文讨论了 DT 及其在 OWC 网络可靠且普遍实施中的作用。我们首先通过深入了解智能自主 OWC 网络背景下的关键支持技术和潜在应用，对这一新兴研究领域进行概述。随后，我们提供与 DT 辅助 OWC 系统相关的最新进展和设计方面。最后，讨论了未来的研究方向以及不同系统因素对整体网络性能的影响。据作者所知，这是文献中首次对 DT 与 OWC 网络集成进行深入综述。