From IoT to Future Cyber-Enabled Internet of X and Its Fundamental Issues

Abstract

As Internet of Things (IoT) is a fascinating paradigm in which all things and objects are connected together, it holds a significant position in fostering intelligent high-level services. However, the future IoT architecture is still under evolution profiting from the overwhelming development of cyberspace and cyber technologies. Based on the traditional physical-based IoT, social-inspired Internet of People (IoP) and brain-abstracted Internet of Thinking (IoTk), an intelligent embryo of cyber-enabled Internet of X (IoX) is being established where all things, entities, people and thinking are interacted seamlessly. In this article, we clearly introduce the cyber-enabled IoX from perspective of both ubiquitous connections and space convergence, and design an architecture with four pillars, namely, things, people, thinking and cyberentities in respective spaces. In addition, we analyze the fundamental issues in IoX development, such as information exploding, link exploding and application exploding from the view of ubiquitous connections, entity exploding and relationship exploding on the basis of space convergence, and service exploding from overall aspects, where potential solutions are discussed at the same time. The intelligent cyber-enabled IoX will be the cornerstone for future techniques and applications, and proves to be the solid foundation for upcoming intelligent and proactive era.