When RIS and Digital Twin Meet UAV-Assisted Mobile Edge Computing: A Survey

In the ultra 5G/6G era, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted mobile edge computing (AEC) emerges as a vital component in the internet of things (IoT). By leveraging the flexible deployment capabilities of UAVs, AEC offers users low-latency and high-bandwidth edge computing services. However, the progression of AEC networks still confronts serious challenges, including channel blockages, complex channel fading, and real-time decision requirements. To effectively address these challenges, the emerging reconfigurable intelligence surface (RIS) and digital twin (DT) technologies demonstrate immense optimization potential. Specifically, RIS enhances the efficiency and reliability of computational offloading by optimizing the intricate UAV communication environment. Simultaneously, DT technology digitizes wireless networks, facilitating low-cost, highly adaptive, and rapid optimization and design of AEC networks. These two technologies open up a new path for the advancement of AEC networks. To our knowledge, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews addressing this emerging cross-cutting area. Therefore, this paper aims to fill this gap by providing an in-depth analysis of the latest research progress of RIS and DT technologies-assisted AEC networks. Ultimately, this paper furnishes a clear and comprehensive perspective, exploring the immense potential of RIS and DT technologies in driving the development of AEC networks.