Realizing the 6G-Enabled Industrial Internet of Robotic Things: Targets, Enablers, and a Case Study

The Industrial Internet of Robotic Things (IIoRT) marks a transformative shift towards highly autonomous, collaborative, and intelligent industrial operations. However, realizing the full potential of advanced IIoRT applications—such as synchronized autonomous swarms, mobile manipulator coordination, and immersive holographic telepresence that requires communication capabilities that exceed current 5th Generation (5G) standards. This paper explores the evolution towards 6th Generation (6G)-enabled IIoRT, addressing critical 5G limitations regarding latency determinism, ultra-reliability, and massive connection density. We provide a comprehensive survey of transformative 6G key enablers, including terahertz communications, Integrated Sensing and Communication, AI-native air interfaces, and deterministic networking, defining their rigorous performance targets crucial for next-generation industrial automation. Furthermore, to demonstrate the practical implication of these theoretical advancements and ensure coherence between our survey and experimental components, we present a case study on a 6G-enabled swarm of networked robots for smart industrial surveillance. This study illustrates how 6G’s ultra-reliable, low-latency communication can support complex, collaborative tasks like autonomous self-positioning for dynamic area coverage, a capability constrained by existing network technologies. By linking a detailed analysis of 6G enablers with a concrete application scenario, this paper provides a holistic view of the future robotic landscape, highlighting both scientific challenges and immense opportunities.

Recommended citation: G. Singh, S. Amatare, E. Natalizio, and D. Roy, "Realizing the 6G-Enabled Industrial Internet of Robotic Things: Targets, Enablers, and a Case Study," IEEE Internet of Things Magazine, early access, 2026, doi: 10.1109/MIOT.2026.3678202. http://arxiv.org/abs/2008.11398