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Review

Enabling Tactile Internet via 6G: Application Characteristics, Requirements, and Design Considerations

by
Bharat S. Chaudhari
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Dr. Vishwanath Karad MIT World Peace University, Pune 411038, India
Future Internet 2025, 17(3), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17030122
Submission received: 4 February 2025 / Revised: 5 March 2025 / Accepted: 7 March 2025 / Published: 11 March 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced 5G and Beyond Networks)
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Abstract

:
With the emergence of artificial intelligence and advancements in network technologies, the imminent arrival of 6G is not very far away. The 6G technology will introduce unique and innovative applications of the Tactile Internet in the near future. This paper highlights the evolution towards the Tactile Internet enabled by 6G technology, along with the details of 6G capabilities. It emphasizes the stringent requirements for emerging Tactile Internet applications and the critical role of parameters, such as latency, reliability, data rate, and others. The study identifies the important characteristics of future Tactile Internet applications, interprets them into explicit requirements, and then discusses the associated design considerations. The study focuses on the role of application characteristics of various applications, like virtual reality/augmented reality, remote surgery, gaming, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, brain–machine interface, telepresence/holography, and requirements in the design of 6G and the Tactile Internet. Furthermore, we discuss the exclusive parameters and other requirements of Tactile Internet to realize real-time haptic interactions with the help of 6G and artificial intelligence. The study deliberates and examines the important performance parameters for the given applications. It also discusses various types of sensors that are required for Tactile Internet applications.

1. Introduction

The development and deployment of innovative applications drive the continuous evolution of information and communication technologies (ICT). These advancements are motivated by the emergence of technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) [1,2], artificial intelligence, edge intelligence and cloud computing [3], blockchain, and miniaturized hardware components and systems [4], which collectively contribute to the creation of a smarter, more intelligent, and more proactive digital world [5]. These innovative applications have their own requirements, such as guaranteed and very high bandwidth, lower latency, energy efficiency, greater security, and other specific requirements [2]. To support the future media, continuous upgradation in network infrastructure, including the transition from 4G to 5G, and ongoing research on 6G technology, is essential. As new applications emerge, new challenges are posed along with plenty of opportunities, prompting further advancements in ICT to meet the evolving needs of society [6]. This innovation and development cycle ensures that this technology remains a key enabler of economic growth, social progress, wellness, and global connectivity.
6G is a next-generation wireless communication technology that is under research and development. It has been named as International Mobile Telecommunications for 2030 (IMT-2030) by the International Telecommunication Union—Radiocommunication (ITU-R) [7]. The mobile communication standardization working group of ITU-R, Working Party 5D (WP 5D), is responsible for defining the vision and overall radio system aspects, including the requirements of next-generation mobile communication applications with 6G. Several standardization bodies, research groups, regulatory and government organizations, and operators are actively contributing to the 6G standardization process [8]. 6G promises ultra-fast data rates with near-zero latency, high energy efficiency, massive connectivity density, and reliability besides sensing, immersive communications, and communications empowered by artificial intelligence [7,8,9].
We are looking forward to a new era of Tactile Internet, which will enable a new kind of interconnectedness and intelligent interaction through 6G. Tactile Internet is seen as the next evolution of the Internet to enable real-time interaction with haptic data over networks, allowing us to have a sense of touch and emotions through communication [10]. The realization of Tactile Internet will heavily rely on 6G and its integration with artificial intelligence [8].
Although studies on 6G and the Tactile Internet exist, research on the Tactile Internet’s application characteristics, their requirements, and their mapping is still in its early stages. Such a study will be critical in the 6G and Tactile Internet design considerations. This paper presents a study on 6G developments and Tactile Internet, their application characteristics and requirements, and the design challenges. The rest of the paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents a discussion on 6G technology and its developmental progress. Section 3 presents a study on Tactile Internet, whereas Section 4 discusses its application characteristics, which need to be considered while designing the network. Section 5 focused on select Tactile Internet application requirements and technological capabilities of 5G and 6G. It deliberates on the importance of performance parameters for different Tactile Internet application characteristics and design considerations. Section 6 brief presents a study on various types of sensors that can be used in Tactile Internet. The paper is concluded in Section 7.

2. 6G Developments

In addition to current applications, 6G is being designed to support disruptive futuristic applications, like extended reality, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communication and Industry 4.0 [1,2], connected and autonomous vehicles, smart transportation [8], the metaverse [11], holographic telepresence [12], Tactile Internet [13], digital twins [14], full immersiveness [15], and blockchain, ultra-high-capacity wireless backhaul connections, wireless connectivity within data centers, terahertz transceivers for innovative applications, and others [16,17].
While designing the IMT-2020 standard (5G), the primary three types of usage scenarios were considered as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) for streaming applications, ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) for mission-critical applications, and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) [18] for low-power and low-data-rate applications of IoT in industrial and other sectors. The WP 5D came up with a recommendation in 2023 for IMT-2030 for upgraded scenarios and applications. The three scenarios of IMT-2020 are now called immersive communication, hyper-reliable and low-latency communication, and massive communication, respectively [9]. Additionally, three new paradigms are recommended: integrated sensing and communication, ubiquitous connectivity, and integrated AI and communication, as shown in Figure 1 [19]. The framework also focuses on sustainability, security, and resilience, connecting the unconnected and ubiquitous intelligence as overarching aspects that act as design principles commonly applicable to all usage scenarios.
The nine enhanced and six new capabilities for IMT-2030 are also proposed to support future usage scenarios, applications, and their requirements, as shown in Figure 2 [19]. These capabilities are peak data rates per device in ideal conditions; user-experienced data rate per device in the throughout the coverage area; more than three times the spectrum efficiency compared to IMT-2020; total traffic throughput capacity per geographic area; connection density with a target of 106–108 devices/km2; mobility with a target of 1000 km/h; end to end latency in the range of 0.1–1 ms; reliability over the air interface in the range of 1–10−5 to 1–10−7; coverage to provide connectivity [7] for usage of desired applications and positioning of localization of the devices with an accuracy of 1–10 cm; sensing-related capabilities for a radio interface with information, such as range, velocity, angle estimation, object detection, localization, imaging, and mapping; applicable AI-related capabilities for AI-enabled applications; security and resilience for robust data security and privacy as well as resilient network operation; and sustainability with networks and devices having higher energy efficiency, optimized designs for equipment, improved lifetimes, and reuse and recycling [20].

Potential Frequency Bands for 6G

For 6G networks, the potential frequency bands are under study and are yet to be finalized [21]. Primarily, mmWave bands (24 GHz to 100 GHz), sub-THz bands (100 GHz to 1 THz), and super high-frequency THz bands (1 THz to 10 THz) are being researched and explored [8]. Based on these studies, a decision on the identification of bands for IMT-2030 will be taken at the World Radio Communication (WRC) Conference to be held in 2027 [22]. Earlier in WRC 2019, mmWave bands in 24.25–27.5 GHz, 37–43.5 GHz, 45.5–47 GHz, 47.2–48.2 GHz, and 66–71 GHz were assigned to IMT usage [8], which are insufficient to support the current and future applications. Many of these frequencies are used for remote sensing, radio astronomy, radar, and other applications. The sub-THz frequencies have immense potential for achieving ultra-high data rates, low latency, and high capacity. However, there are several limitations and challenges, such as spectrum scarcity and limitations to achieving the spectral efficiency (~100 bits/Hz to achieve 1 Tbps speed) as per IMT-2030 requirements. In the year 2024, ITU-R SG 5 and, subsequently, WP 5D, agreed to study and explore the technical feasibility of IMT in bands above 100 GHz [9]. It is being studied and contended that the THz band can be a potential candidate for the applications that require Tbps speed. At these frequencies, there will be constraints for optical sensing, adverse health effects, and others at such extremely high frequencies. TV white spaces [23,24] can also enable 6G technology for extended coverage, energy-efficient IoT, and dynamic spectrum access. These low-frequency propagation characteristics can support rural connectivity, smart cities, and wireless backhauls.

3. Tactile Internet

There has been continuous evolution of the Internet since its deployment. The development of new innovative applications and advancements in communication technologies push each other to new heights all the time. In the early days, the Internet primarily supported the transmission and reception of text, files, email, and similar applications. At that time, images and videos were treated as bandwidth-hungry information, and due to slower data speeds, it was challenging to share such media over the Internet. With the technological advancements in hardware, software, and communication technologies, the focus shifted toward enhancing speed and reliability [3]. The quality of service (QoS) became a crucial factor as Internet speeds increased, especially for multimedia applications, to guarantee low latency and packet loss with high reliability and a real-time experience for users. From the era of downloading files to streaming video content, the Internet infrastructure improved and grew exponentially, supporting applications, such as live video streaming, high-definition video transmission, real-time communication, virtual reality/augmented reality (AR/VR), multi-party gaming, and many more [4]. Furthermore, the speed and reliability of the Internet have boosted its use in industry, education, healthcare, and others. The Internet is pushing the limits of speed, QoS, and application possibilities with 6G, which promises an even more connected and interactive future.
Today’s Internet enables real-time communication and the exchange of data, graphics, and videos; however, it cannot convey a physical sense of touch or movement, which limits its application in immersive experiences [15]. To support such applications and requirements, a new paradigm for the Internet is emerging called the Tactile Internet, which aims to support haptic interactions, incorporating a sense of touch (tactile) and muscle movement (kinesthetic) interactions [25].
In the Tactile Internet, achieving a remote sense of touch requires users to wear highly sensitive devices, such as gloves, styluses, or other haptic interfaces [18]. These devices not only simulate tactile sensations but also transmit sensory feedback in real-time. At the receiving end, actuator systems, such as robotic systems replicate the user’s movements while collecting touch feedback through advanced tactile sensors, enabling seamless interaction across distances [26]. It enables real-time remote touch using ultra-low latency communication with haptic feedback, allowing the users to experience sensations, such as touch, softness, weight, temperature, and others, in real time [27,28].

3.1. End-to-End Latency Analysis

One of the key challenges for this technology is reducing latency with high-reliability communication to match human sensory perception [29]. When we touch something, the touch feel is immediate as the sensed signal is sent to the brain in a fraction of a second by neurons. Tactile Internet needs to be designed in the same way. Although current 5G technology enables URLLC, mMTC, and eMBB [30] to have real-time applications, however, to have real-time immersive experiences, such as with a sense of touch or muscle movements, the delay should be in order of a millisecond.
For long-distance applications, the bottleneck is the speed of the signals used for communication [26,31]. The optical fiber network in which light signals are used for the transmission and reception of data is already deployed in most parts of the world, providing data rates in the order of Tbps. Similarly, the signal can be transmitted wirelessly. Table 1 shows an approximate sample estimate of end-to-end delay for signal transmission between Mumbai and New York through submarine optical fiber networks. Table 2 gives an estimate for wireless transmission. The estimates show that the approximate one-way end-to-end delay is more than 76 ms for optical fiber transmission and more than 50 ms for wireless transmission. These end-to-end delays are estimated on the basis of the transmission distance and velocity of optical and RF signals, assuming some processing, queuing, and transmission delays at intermediate devices. For Tactile Internet applications, the delay needs to be less than one millisecond for a real-time immersive experience.
In such a case, fundamental physics constrains the lower bound on latency, primarily controlled by the velocity of the signal and the medium of transmission. Information cannot travel faster than this universal constant. For medium- and long-distance applications, the required sub-millisecond latency of Tactile Internet is impossible, and it becomes a barrier for applications that require latency of more than 1 ms.

3.2. AI for Action Prediction in Tactile Internet

When we touch something or move a part of the body, the sensory receptors in the skin are activated, and they generate action potentials (electrical signals). These signals travel through neurons to the brain. Within the human body, the delay for signals to reach the brain when we move or touch something is typically 20 to 40 milliseconds, depending on the distance and type of neurons involved. Once the signal is processed in the brain and if a response is required, for example, pulling the hand away from something hot, the brain sends signals back through motor neurons to the muscles. This rapid transmission allows for seamless interaction with our environment. In Tactile Internet, the goal is to mimic the natural human action as per the neural signaling in less than 1 ms. This ultra-low latency is vital for applications, like remote surgery or haptic feedback systems, where delays longer than 1 ms can disrupt the natural responsiveness in remote interactions.
To overcome the challenge of latency, some of the important approaches are leveraging AI at the edge, network architecture optimizations, and the use of advanced transmission technologies. Edge computing can be used to predict the immediate future state of the user by using artificial intelligence [31,32] without waiting for actual action. AI-based predictive modeling can help tackle delays by anticipating user movements and transmitting them in advance. These predicted values would have a limited set of actions as we move any of our parts in specific directions with pull, push actions, etc. With advancements in ultra-reliable low-latency networks and artificial intelligence, the Tactile Internet has the potential to revolutionize fields, such as telemedicine, remote education, and hazardous material handling, enabling expert skills to be delivered across vast distances in real-time. Tactile Internet is not just about connected devices; it is about enabling human-to-machine (H2M) interactions with haptic and tactile sensations, thus creating a bilateral communication and feedback network [33]. Artificial intelligence has a significant role to play in Tactile Internet development, optimization, and deployment for real-time data processing and analysis. It can ensure seamless communication between devices and users by optimizing the network performance through network protocols and configurations to achieve an ultra-low latency of 1 ms or less. Predictive maintenance and fault detection [34] for potential failures or bottlenecks in network infrastructure to ensure high reliability and uptime can be performed prior to any communication [35]. AI can also enhance haptic feedback systems to improve accuracy and responsiveness, as well as simulate and test scenarios virtually, allowing developers to test and refine the systems under various conditions and to evaluate the performance of haptic feedback and latency. It will also help in improving human–machine interaction by developing interfaces and adaptive systems that respond to user behavior. AI also provides features, like security and privacy, by detecting and mitigating cyber threats in real-time, and also in ethical and social implications by analyzing potential risks and proposing solutions [36,37].

4. Tactile Internet Application Characteristics

Various Tactile Internet applications have different characteristics. The parameters of latency, reliability, and data rates are the key drivers for Tactile Internet applications. Table 3 presents the relevance of the major characteristics of the important Tactile Internet applications, such as virtual reality/augmented reality, remote surgery, gaming, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, brain–machine interfaces, and telepresence/ holography. In addition to the primary core parameters, such as latency, reliability, and others, some additional characteristics are also included to have a holistic view of future requirements. The relative scales for the applicability of the characteristics to applications are indicated as high (H), medium (M), and low (L) [4]. For a given application, the table provides enough directions for architectural and design decisions.

Discussion on Application Characteristics

The characteristics of Tactile Internet applications are critical for ensuring seamless performance in mission-critical and other tasks. These characteristics demand extremely high network performance to maintain system stability and user experience. However, realizing these requirements poses significant design challenges. Based on the mapping given in Table 3, we discuss the key characteristics of Tactile Internet.
Latency is a crucial parameter for VR/AR, remote surgery, gaming, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, BMI, telepresence, etc. These applications need ultra-low end-to-end latency to ensure real-time feedback and interactions [38]. For some applications, like smart cities, it is M, as not all smart cities applications require such ultra-low latency and can tolerate some delay.
High reliability is essential for mission-critical applications, such as remote surgery, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and BMI [39], where failure could lead to disastrous outcomes. Reliability is also important in other applications, like gaming and VR/AR, where occasional failures do not pose serious risks.
The data rates required for VR/AR, remote surgery, gaming, and telepresence are high to ensure seamless user experience, real-time interaction, and ultra-low latency feedback [8]. It can be moderate-to-high for some applications, like smart cities, industrial automation, BMI, and autonomous vehicles, as the data in such applications are more event-driven and involve structured data exchange rather than continuous high-bandwidth streaming.
The data update rate needs to be extremely high for VR/AR, remote surgery, gaming, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, BMI, and telepresence, as they need frequent updates to ensure accuracy and efficiency [8]. The necessity may be a medium for smart cities, as the demand is not as stringent.
Some applications, like remote surgery, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and BMI, require a high level of network availability and resilience to network failures. These applications include mission-critical tasks where even slight downtime jitters can lead to catastrophic consequences, such as surgical errors, traffic accidents, or industrial malfunctions. At the same time, gaming and VR/AR can have moderate levels of availability and resilience, as occasional packet loss or minor network disruptions may cause performance degradation but not system failures.
The desired level of power consumption needs to be minimal; however, the need for high performance cannot be compromised for Tactile Internet applications [28]. It will be on the higher side for smart cities, as sensors and IoT devices have to function efficiently over a long period. It can be at a medium level for other applications, like VR/AR, remote surgery, gaming, industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, and BMI, as these may not be undertaken all the time.
High mobility support is necessary for VR/AR, gaming, and autonomous vehicles to have seamless connectivity to mobile users and devices. For other applications, such as remote surgery, smart cities, and industrial automation, it can be at a medium level, as most of the devices are static [27].
Scalability is essential for smart cities and industrial automation as large-scale deployments have to accommodate thousands or even millions of devices [38]. For other applications, some scaling is necessary, but the number of devices is relatively small.
Remote surgery, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and BMI require high security. For gaming, VR/AR, and telepresence can be secured at a medium level as these are not mission-critical applications.
AI integration and edge computing capability are required for all types of applications. Data processing at the edge reduces latency tremendously [32]. The use of AI is unavoidable in most applications for realizing Tactile Internet applications. For some applications, like VR/AR, gaming, and telepresence, AI enhances experiences, but it is not always essential.
VR/AR, remote surgery, gaming, and telepresence require a high level of interactivity, as these applications necessitate real-time interactions. Some systems may require interactivity in smart cities, but many operate autonomously.
Jitters are an important characteristic, and should be minimal for VR/AR, remote surgery, gaming, autonomous vehicles, BMI, and telepresence applications. Latency fluctuations may disrupt real-time applications [34]. However, there may be some tolerance for other applications, like smart cities and industrial automation.
Haptic feedback quality is highly important for VR/AR, remote surgery, gaming, and telepresence, as touch or similar feedback is an integral part of them. Haptic feedback can also be important for autonomous vehicles. Smart cities and industrial automation applications do not rely on haptic feedback.
Multi-sensory integration is vital for VR/AR, remote surgery, BMI, and telepresence, and it can be of medium importance to smart cities and industrial automation applications. It can enhance the overall user experience.
Biocompatibility is mainly for device interaction directly with biological tissues [40], which is most important for BMI and remote surgeries. It is not relevant to and may not be required for other applications.
High localization accuracy [41] is required for remote surgery, autonomous vehicles, and BMI, as precise and accurate tracking is critical for them. Location data may be required for other applications but are not mission-critical.
Interoperability is needed for current and future applications, including Tactile Internet applications [42]. It ensures seamless communication and integration across diverse systems, devices, and networks. As applications become increasingly complex, they rely on heterogeneous infrastructures, protocols, and technologies. Without interoperability, achieving real-time interaction, cross-platform compatibility, and efficient data exchange would be challenging.
Some other characteristics, like bandwidth required, cost of the overall system, complexity in building, deploying, and maintaining the applications, synchronization among different devices, standardization for interoperability and scalability, environmental considerations, user experience, ethical issues, and impact on society, can also be considered.

5. Tactile Internet Application Requirements

Tactile Internet is a new paradigm of the Internet with ultra-low latency, high-reliability communication for real-time applications, such as remote surgery, industrial automation, autonomous systems, and AR/VR. With the future transition from 5G to 6G, key performance parameters, such as latency, reliability, data rate, update rate, security, scalability, and power efficiency, need to be studied and designed to meet the stringent requirements of emerging applications [10,43]. The requirements of key parameters for Tactile Internet and the capabilities of 5G and 6G technologies are summarized in Table 4.

Discussion on Application Requirements

The application requirements of Tactile Internet vary depending on the specific use case but generally demand extremely high network performance. If the application characteristics are known, the requirements can be derived from that, and appropriate technologies or approaches can be chosen for the design. Based on the key parameter requirements for Tactile Internet and the technological capabilities of 5G and 6G as given in Table 4, the parameter requirements for Tactile Internet are briefly discussed below.
  • End-to-End Latency
Ultra-low latency (<1 ms) is essential for real-time tactile and haptic interactions. The 5G capability of URLLC enables latencies as low as 1 ms, and for 6G, it is envisioned below 0.1 ms, leveraging THz communication, edge AI, and quantum communication [28,48]. Such a drastic reduction in latency will enhance real-time telepresence, immersive mixed reality, and haptic-based Tactile Internet applications [15].
  • Reliability
Tactile Internet application requires very low packet loss and error-free transmission (<10−9) to prevent failures in critical applications and enable autonomous systems to function without disruptions. 5G achieves such reliability via multi-connectivity and network slicing [38]. 6G aims to achieve it through AI-driven predictive network management [20], blockchain-based trust models, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces.
  • Data Rate
The increasing demand for holographic communication and high-fidelity extended reality applications necessitates extreme data rates. Such applications may require data rates ranging from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps to support high-resolution tactile and visual feedback. 5G provides up to 10 Gbps data speed using mmWave frequencies. 6G is expected to support up to 1 Tbps through Terahertz communication, massive MIMO, intelligent reflecting surfaces, AI-based network optimization, and free space optics technologies [8].
  • Update Rate
To have a real-time immersive experience, the data need to be refreshed or updated to maintain real-time operation. The tactile applications require an update rate of more than 1 kHz (1000 times per sec or update every 1 ms interval) for real-time haptic feedback. 5G supports 1 kHz update rates. 6G is envisioned to target 10 kHz using AI-enhanced network orchestration [44]. A higher update rate improves real-time industrial control, brain–computer interfaces, and multi-sensory synchronization.
  • Power Consumption
Sustainable energy solutions [49] are essential for IoT-enabled tactile interactions and wearable haptics. Low-power and energy-efficient operations in most Tactile Internet applications are essential to support wearable devices. 5G has these capabilities, and 6G plans to use energy harvesting [28], AI-driven power optimization, and quantum batteries.
  • Mobility Support
To maintain stable connectivity while users move at high speeds, Tactile Internet requires seamless handover at high speeds [18]. The seamless connectivity in high-speed scenarios, such as high-speed trains and drones, is critical. 5G supports mobility at speeds up to 500 km/h. 6G is expected to handle mobility up to 1000 km/h with intelligent beamforming and satellite–terrestrial integration.
  • Scalability
Tactile Internet requires highly scalable architecture with a massive network to support millions of devices simultaneously without significant congestion. 5G can support 1 million devices/km2 by leveraging massive MIMO (mMIMO) and network slicing. 6G envisions offering support to 10 million devices/km2 using AI-optimized resource allocation and intelligent reflecting surfaces [38].
  • Security
Tactile Internet requires proactive security with end-to-end encryption and zero-trust architecture [50]. The 5G security framework includes security anchor function) and a subscription identifier de-concealing function [51]. 6G plans to integrate quantum encryption, blockchain for authentication, and AI-driven cyber threat mitigation.
  • Edge Computing Capability and AI Integration
One of the approaches to reduce latency and network congestion is the processing of data near the edge. For Tactile Internet, edge nodes must process data with minimal delay to predict near-future action and send just the feedback [52,53]. 5G employs multi-access edge computing for local data processing. 6G will have AI-driven edge computing with adaptive resource allocation for near-instantaneous processing. It will also adopt AI-native networks with autonomous optimization, self-healing mechanisms, and proactive security. Such an approach will reduce backhaul dependency and enhance real-time interactions for Tactile Internet.
  • Interactivity
To facilitate seamless interaction between users and connected devices, Tactile Internet requires a response time of less than 10 ms for natural interactions. Faster interaction is crucial for certain applications, such as remote surgery, immersive AR/VR, and haptic control applications. 5G achieves it through URLLC, while 6G targets latency of less than 1 ms, using AI-based adaptive network management.
  • Jitter
Variability in latency over time for Tactile Internet applications should be less than 100 µs to avoid any impact on real-time applications. Ultra-low jitter ensures smooth haptic feedback and real-time sensory synchronization. 5G can have less than 100 µs jitter with URLLC, while 6G envisions less than 10 µs jitter through AI-optimized scheduling.
  • Haptic Feedback Quality
The precise tactile interactions for Tactile Internet applications require force feedback resolution of less than 0.1 N with less than 1 ms latency. This can be achieved in 5G with URLLC and edge computing. 6G will have AI-driven haptics with near-instantaneous feedback. High-quality haptic feedback improves performance in remote surgery, robotic control, and others.
  • Multi-Sensory Integration
Synchronization of multiple sensory inputs, such as touch, vision, audio, motion feedback, etc., is crucial for real-time immersive experiences [33]. For practical applications, it must occur in less than 10 ms. 5G achieves this through URLLC, and 6G will target it with AI-driven real-time processing and edge computing.
  • Biocompatibility
For Tactile Internet, biocompatibility is the seamless integration of cutting-edge communication technologies with the human body, ensuring the safety, minimal biological interference, and long-term usability of wearables [40,54,55]. As the applications require neural interfaces, implants, and haptic feedback wearables, they must comply with international biocompatibility standards, such as ISO 10993. 5G has capabilities limited to wearables for health monitoring, prosthetics, and remote diagnostics. However, 6G aims for wearable and implantable biocompatible integrated sensors, AI-driven physiological monitoring, and energy-efficient data transmission, minimizing thermal and electromagnetic exposure.
  • Localization Accuracy
In the Tactile Internet, localization accuracy plays a crucial role in accurate spatial awareness. For applications that require haptic-enabled high-precision, even slight deviations might cause operational disruptions. Localization improves real-time responsiveness by ensuring seamless communication between users, devices, and virtual environments. 5G networks use advanced positioning techniques, including beamforming, massive MIMO, and multi-access edge computing (MEC) to achieve localization precision of less than one meter. 6G is targeting the use of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, quantum positioning systems, and AI to bring accuracy to sub-centimeter levels [41].
  • Interoperability
Interoperability between technologies ensures seamless communication between different networks, devices, and protocols for real-time interactions across different platforms [47]. Tactile Internet requires a unified framework that allows heterogeneous devices to exchange data with minimal latency and high reliability. In 5G, interoperability is supported through standardized protocols, such as 3GPP’s 5G NR, network slicing, and cloud-native architectures. 6G plans to advance interoperability further by leveraging AI-driven network orchestration, blockchain-based authentication, and dynamic spectrum sharing to integrate terrestrial, satellite, and underwater communication systems.

6. Sensors for Tactile Internet Applications

The Tactile Internet requires ultra-low latency, high reliability, and real-time haptic feedback. The sensors are the most important components as they sense physical interactions and capture environmental data and physiological signals for the realization of natural experience for the users to whom they are directly connected. The sensors used in Tactile Internet applications can be broadly classified into five types, namely haptic sensors, motion and inertial sensors, biometric and physiological sensors, environmental and proximity sensors, and bio-integrated and implantable sensors. In this section, we discuss the various types of sensors related to the Tactile Internet and their technical aspects.
i.
Haptic Sensors
Haptic sensors are critical for capturing tactile sensations, such as force, pressure, vibration, and texture [56]. These sensors generate realistic touch feedback for applications. The haptic sensors can be capacitive, piezoelectric, MEMS-based force, or optical.
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Resistive and piezoresistive tactile sensors: Resistive tactile sensors detect variation in electrical resistance upon the application of external force or pressure. They typically consist of conductive layers separated by a porous material. When pressure is applied, the layers come into contact, changing the resistance and, hence, the current flowing through it. They are simple, flexible, and cost-effective; however, their accuracy is low. They can be used as robotic grippers and prosthetic devices. Piezoresistive tactile sensors operate based on the piezoresistive effect, where the electrical resistance of a material changes under applied mechanical stress or pressure [57,58]. These sensors require external power to work, and, generally, they are fabricated using silicon, graphene, and carbon nanotubes. They give higher sensitivity and are capable of sensing static as well as dynamic forces. They can be used in medical wearables to measure blood pressure, prosthetic control, and robotic applications [58].
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Capacitive sensors: Capacitive sensors measure variation in capacitance due to pressure or touch. When pressure is applied, the distance between the capacitor plates varies; hence, the capacitance also varies. Due to advancements in materials, such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, flexible capacitive sensors can play a crucial role in wearable applications. Recent research shows that graphene-based capacitive sensors have high sensitivity and flexibility, making them suitable for Tactile Internet applications [59]. These sensors are stretchable and are less temperature-sensitive than resistive and piezoresistive sensors. They can have high spatial resolution and force sensitivity and can also be used to measure lateral strains or shear forces. However, it is challenging to read very slight changes in capacitance values and they are sensitive to humidity and metallic parts [58].
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Piezoelectric sensors: Piezoelectric sensors convert mechanical stress into electrical signals and are used for high-speed haptic feedback due to their fast response time. They do not require electric power to operate and to achieve high spatial resolution; they can be integrated with high-density CMOS [60]. They have good stability and are less prone to electromagnetic interference compared to resistive and piezoresistive sensors [58]. The challenges are complex signal conditioning circuits and the nonlinear response of piezoelectric materials for electrical fields. The research involving the use of polyvinylidene fluoride for flexible and wearable haptic sensors shows encouraging results [48].
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MEMS-based force sensors: Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) force sensors are used for real-time pressure sensing in biomedical applications, like telemedicine and remote surgery. They enable high-density integration of piezoelectric sensors with high spatial resolution. They have low power consumption and are suitable for portable and wearable devices [58]. These sensors are being developed with integrated signal processing for low latency and higher accuracy [61]. However, designing the sensor with high durability, reliability, predictive maintenance, and real-time diagnostics is a challenge.
▪
Optical tactile sensors: These sensors are generally designed by using the fiber Bragg grating principle [58,62] and are immune to EMI interference and capable of distributed sensing. Photonic crystal-based [63] tactile sensors use periodic nanostructures to detect mechanical forces, are ultra-sensitive, have a fast response time, and are non-contact sensing. An inbuilt camera pointing towards the tactile membrane is used to capture the properties of the objects which cause the deformations to the sensor’s tactile membrane [64]. They can detect surface texture and pressure, offer high resolution, and are suitable for applications demanding thorough tactile feedback. However, they have lower sensitivity to stress, and their sensitivity decreases with the distance separating two sensing points.
ii.
Motion and Inertial Sensors
Motion and inertial sensors are required to track movement and orientation. They includes accelerometers, gyroscopes, and inertial measurement units. These sensors play a crucial role in Tactile Internet applications, like robotic teleoperation, AR/VR, and exoskeletons [65]. Accelerometers are used to measure changes in acceleration, and, hence, they can track movements of the hand and body. MEMS-based accelerometers with low power consumption and high accuracy have been developed [66]. AI-based accelerometers can play a crucial role in predictive motion sensing. The gyroscopes can detect angular velocity and produce the corresponding electrical output for precise motion tracking in robotic applications. Recently, MEMS-based gyroscopes with improved stability and reduced power consumption have been designed [67]. Researchers are exploring the possibility of designing AI-based miniaturized gyroscopes with high accuracy and adaptive motion tracking capabilities. The inertial measurement units (IMUs) integrate accelerometers and gyroscopes to provide six degrees of freedom (6DoF) motion sensing. Furthermore, they also integrate a 3-axis magnetometer to make it a 9-axis IMU. IMUs are widely used for haptic gloves and industrial control systems. Magnetic sensors are also used to detect changes in a magnetic field using the Hall effect [68]. They measure strains based on the received magnetic field and are known for their low hysteresis, robustness, high sensitivity, and good repeatability [69]. Magnetic sensors are used to measure low-range normal and shear forces.
iii.
Biometric and Physiological Sensors
In the Tactile Internet, biometric sensors are crucial for real-time human physiological monitoring for applications, such as health wearables, brain–computer interfaces, and prosthetic controls. For example, their use in prosthetics can provide amputees with a sense of touch in their artificial limbs (physiological sensing). The use of multimodal sensors that combine tactile sensing with other modalities (such as acoustic or visual) could enhance the capabilities of physiological or biometric sensing systems [58].
These sensors include electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), and skin conductance sensors. EMG sensors detect muscle movements and are used to control robotic arms and prosthetic devices. The developments of flexible EMG sensors for wearable applications [70] and AI-based adaptive prosthetic control could be instrumental in realizing them in tactile applications. EEG sensors capture real-time brain signals that are electrically useful for brain–computer interaction. These sensors help with the neural control of haptic interfaces, prosthetic devices, VR, and real-time neurofeedback systems. Skin conductance sensors measure emotional responses [71] by detecting changes in skin conductivity and are used in immersive environments for adaptive haptic feedback. Wearable skin conductance sensors for real-time emotion detection and AI-based skin conductance sensors for personalized haptic feedback are being developed.
iv.
Environmental and Proximity Sensors
For Tactile Internet, environmental and proximity sensors are going to play a crucial role in getting real-time data of surroundings to enhance safety, precision, and interactivity. They can be used for smart environments, autonomous systems, industrial automation, and haptic-enabled applications. Temperature sensitivity is one of the major concerns for several types of tactile sensors. A new triboelectric sensor is designed to detect both pressure and temperature, even in high-temperature environments of up to 200 °C [72]. It uses the temperature dependence of triboelectric charge transfer for temperature sensing and has low cross-sensitivity between pressure and temperature.
Visual tactile sensors use camera-based computer vision to determine the required parameter with high spatial resolution. Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) and ultrasonic sensors allow depth sensing and object detection [73]. Achieving high accuracy in complex environments and real-time environmental mapping can be a challenge in developing these sensors. Infrared sensors support the detection of surroundings, such as gesture recognition and thermal mapping, which are helpful for smart haptic systems. Proximity sensors detect the presence of nearby objects and are used in touchless interfaces and medical applications.
v.
Bio-Integrated and Implantable Sensors
Bio-integrated and implantable sensors are designed for seamless human–machine interaction, real-time health monitoring, and neural control of prosthetics. These sensors can be neural, optogenetic, skin-integrated, tactile, or similar, and they should have high bio-integrity to minimize intrusion and ensure accurate signal detection [74]. The neural sensors can use electrocorticography (ECoG)- [75] and EEG-based implants to measure neural signals. The development of wireless neural sensors with 6G integration for real-time neural communication is expected in the near future. The challenges could be the biocompatibility and long-term stability of the sensors. Optogenetic sensors use light pulses to stimulate specific neurons for brain–machine interactions. They achieve accurate control of neural activity; however, they are highly complex. Skin-integrated tactile sensors, like epidermal electronic tattoos, can measure touch, pressure, temperature, and motion, offering versatile sensing capabilities. These sensors are often made of flexible, biocompatible materials, like silk, and can be mounted directly on the skin for continuous monitoring. However, challenges remain, including ensuring long-term biocompatibility and stability. Additionally, the development of miniaturized wireless communication and energy supply is important for practical applications.

7. Conclusions

In this paper, a study of 6G and the Tactile Internet was carried out. As the future Tactile Internet has stringent requirements, such as latency, reliability, and data rates, it is necessary to design the 6G networks to support its applications. Hence, the research on Tactile Internet applications was undertaken to derive the characteristics for select applications of virtual reality/augmented reality, remote surgery gaming, smart cities, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, brain–machine interfaces, and telepresence/holography. To discuss these characteristics further, we considered several parameters and other requirements of 6G along with 5G and support technologies. This approach identifies the design considerations for 6G and allied technologies for realizing these applications. It highlights the key performance parameters, such as end-to-end latency, reliability, data rate, update rate, security, scalability, power efficiency, edge computing capability, AI integration, interactivity, jitter, haptic feedback quality, multi-sensory integration, biocompatibility, localization accuracy, and interoperability that must be met by 6G to support Tactile Internet applications. We also presented classification and explored various sensors crucial for Tactile Internet applications.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Data Availability Statement

No new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Futureinternet 17 00122 g001
Figure 1. Six usage scenarios for IMT-2030 and four overarching aspects, specified by the ITU-R in June 2023 [19].
Figure 1. Six usage scenarios for IMT-2030 and four overarching aspects, specified by the ITU-R in June 2023 [19].
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Figure 2. Targeted capabilities of IMT-2030 [19].
Figure 2. Targeted capabilities of IMT-2030 [19].
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Table 1. Approximate end-to-end delay from Mumbai to New York for one-way transmission through a submarine fiber-optic cable.
Table 1. Approximate end-to-end delay from Mumbai to New York for one-way transmission through a submarine fiber-optic cable.
Transmission MediaType
of Signal		Maximum VelocityPropagation
Delay		Processing
Delay *		Queuing Delay
(Switches and Routers)		Transmission Delay #Approx. Total End-to-End Delay $
Optical
fiber		Light200 km/msec75 ms0.2 ms1 ms (for light traffic)
20 ms (for heavy traffic/congestion)		0.3 µs76.203 ms (for light traffic)
95.203 ms (for heavy traffic/congestion)
* Assuming 10 repeaters/OEO conversions with 2 µs delay each. # Assuming a 40 Gbps optical fiber link and a packet size of 1500 bytes. $ Assuming the actual submarine cable length as 15,000 km due to routing.
Table 2. Approximate end-to-end delay from Mumbai to New York for one-way wireless transmission.
Table 2. Approximate end-to-end delay from Mumbai to New York for one-way wireless transmission.
Transmission MediaType
of Signal		Maximum VelocityPropagation DelayApprox. Total End-to-End Delay $
AirRadio frequency300 km/ms50 ms50 ms plus processing, queuing, and transmission delays
$ End-to-end propagation distance will vary depending on which type of wireless transmission is employed (satellite/terrestrial/hybrid, etc.) for a minimum of 15,000 km.
Table 3. Relevance of the characteristics to Tactile Internet applications. H for high, M for medium, and L for low.
Table 3. Relevance of the characteristics to Tactile Internet applications. H for high, M for medium, and L for low.
Applications
Parameters		Virtual Reality/Augmented RealityRemote SurgeryGamingSmart CitiesAutonomous VehiclesIndustrial AutomationBrain–Machine InterfaceTelepresence/Holography
LatencyHHHMHHHH
ReliabilityHHMHHHHH
Data rateHHHMHHHH
Update rateHHHMHHHH
AvailabilityHHMHHHHH
Power
consumption		MMMHMMMM
Mobility
support		HMHHHHHH
ScalabilityMMMHMHMM
SecurityHHMHHHHH
Edge computing capabilityHHHHHHHH
AI integrationHHHHHHHH
InteractivityHHHMHHHH
JitterHHHMHHHH
Haptic feedback qualityHHHLHHHH
Multi-sensory
integration		HHMMHMHH
BiocompatibilityLHLLLLHL
Localization
accuracy		HHMHHHHH
InteroperabilityHHMHHHHH
Table 4. Key parameters requirements for Tactile Internet and technological capabilities of 5G, 6G, and other technologies and use cases.
Table 4. Key parameters requirements for Tactile Internet and technological capabilities of 5G, 6G, and other technologies and use cases.
ParameterTactile Internet
Requirements		5G Capabilities6G CapabilitiesOther Technologies/Considerations
LatencyUltra-low
latency (<1 ms)		~1 ms [11]<0.1 ms [38]Edge computing, massive multiple input multiple outputs (MIMO), software-defined networks (SDNs), network function virtualization (NFV), wireless LANs, wireless body area networks, passive optical networks (PON), and network slicing.
Specific use cases/applications: remote surgery, real-time brain–computer interfaces, and instantaneous holographic communication.
Reliability99.999%99.999%99.9999% [39]Short packet transmission, network slicing, multi-path routing, robust error correction mechanisms, adaptive power control, and packet duplication.
Specific use cases/applications: Autonomous spacecraft control, fully automated smart grids, remote surgeries, and remote disaster response with robotic swarms.
Data rate1 to 10 GbpsUp to 10 Gbps [11]Up to 1 Tbps, mmWave, and THz bands for even higher data rates [8]Haptic codecs, data compression, perceptual coding, advanced encoding, joint communication, and sensing.
Specific use cases/applications: Ultra-realistic holographic telepresence, large-scale neural network training, and high-fidelity virtual world simulations.
Update rateHigh update rate (>1 kHz)1 kHz (1 ms interval)10 kHz (100 µs interval) [44]PONs, multiple access schemes, dynamic bandwidth allocation, and data compression.
Specific use cases/applications: Advanced haptic exoskeletons, real-time manipulation of matter at the molecular level, and instantaneous biofeedback systems.
Availability99.999%99.999%99.9999% [39]Global-scale quantum computing networks, ubiquitous access to AI services, and planetary-scale sensor networks.
Power consumptionUltra-low powerLow powerEnergy harvesting [28]Energy harvesting, low-power circuit design, edge computing, backscatter communications, non-orthogonal multiple access, and integrated hardware solutions merging multiple energy harvesting orthogonal converters (vibrations, light, thermal gradients, and RF).
Specific use cases/applications: Self-powered implantable medical devices, wireless neural interfaces, pervasive environmental monitoring systems powered by ambient energy.
Mobility supportSeamless handover at high speedsUp to 500 km/hUp to 1000 km/h [27,45]Edge computing, network slicing, task migration, multi-path routing, cloud-based rans, and satellite communications.
Specific use cases/applications: Flying autonomous vehicles in urban environments and seamless global connectivity for personal drones.
ScalabilitySupport for millions of devices1M devices/km2Support for a massive
number of connections (10 M devices/km2) [38]		Global IoT network with billions of interconnected devices and dynamic management of resources
Specific use cases/applications: Smart cities and large-scale environmental monitoring and management systems.
SecurityEnd-to-end encryption5G security frameworkQuantum encryption [46], new information, and theoretic tasks, like oblivious transfer, information masking, and secure computingSDNs, intelligent core networks, network slicing, multi-level cloud-based systems, and AI- and quantum-based approaches.
Specific use cases/applications: Secure quantum communication networks, unhackable personal data storage systems, and AI-driven proactive defense systems.
Edge computing capabilityEdge nodes with minimal delayMulti-access edge computingAI-driven edge computing, smart multi-access edge computing.AI integration, AI-driven decision-making, and osmotic computing [47].
Specific use cases/applications: Distributed AI systems for real-time decision-making in automated factories, personalized medicine, and dynamic adjustment of energy grids for maximum efficiency.
InteractivitySeamless interaction with <10 ms response time<10 ms with URLLC<1 ms with AI-driven optimizationCollaborative design in shared virtual spaces, instantaneous mind-to-mind communication, and interactive AI-driven learning environments.
JitterJitter < 100 µs for real-time applications<100 µs with URLLC [34]<10µs with AI-driven optimizationPrecise control of nanobots in medical applications, smooth holographic projections, and consistent VR/AR experience regardless of network load.
Haptic feedback qualityForce feedback resolution < 0.1 N, latency < 1 ms [44] Achievable with URLLCEnhanced with AI-driven hapticsRealistic manipulation of virtual objects, remote physical rehabilitation with accurate feedback, and lifelike tactile experience in VR environments.
Multi-sensory IntegrationSynchronization of sensory inputs with <10 ms delayAchievable with 5GEnhanced with AI-driven synchronizationCognitive multiplexing techniques, fully immersive virtual worlds where all senses are stimulated in sync, AI-powered sensory enhancement for disabled individuals, and hyper-realistic remote meetings with all sensory experiences transmitted.
BiocompatibilityISO 10993 standards for biocompatibility [40]Limited supportEnhanced biocompatibility for wearablesLong-term implantable neural interfaces, bio-integrated sensors for continuous health monitoring, AI-driven personalized drug delivery systems.
Localization accuracySub-centimeter accuracy for AR/VR and autonomous
systems		<1 m accuracy<1 cm accuracy [41]Precise spatial positioning in augmented reality overlays, nanobot navigation inside the human body, and autonomous delivery systems operating in complex environments.
InteroperabilitySupport for open standards (e.g., IEEE, 3GPP)5G NR standardsEnhanced interoperability with AI [42]Seamless integration of all devices and networks worldwide, global AI knowledge bases accessible to anyone anywhere, and unified standards for quantum communication.
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MDPI and ACS Style

Chaudhari, B.S. Enabling Tactile Internet via 6G: Application Characteristics, Requirements, and Design Considerations. Future Internet 2025, 17, 122. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17030122

AMA Style

Chaudhari BS. Enabling Tactile Internet via 6G: Application Characteristics, Requirements, and Design Considerations. Future Internet. 2025; 17(3):122. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17030122

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chaudhari, Bharat S. 2025. "Enabling Tactile Internet via 6G: Application Characteristics, Requirements, and Design Considerations" Future Internet 17, no. 3: 122. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17030122

APA Style

Chaudhari, B. S. (2025). Enabling Tactile Internet via 6G: Application Characteristics, Requirements, and Design Considerations. Future Internet, 17(3), 122. https://doi.org/10.3390/fi17030122

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