A Multi-Agent DRL-Based Framework for Optimal Resource Allocation and Twin Migration in the Multi-Tier Vehicular Metaverse
This addresses resource management challenges for vehicular networks in the Metaverse, but it is incremental as it builds on existing DRL and game theory methods.
The paper tackles the problem of optimal resource allocation and vehicular twin migration in a multi-tier vehicular Metaverse by proposing a multi-agent deep reinforcement learning framework, which improves latency, resource utilization, migration cost, and user experience by 12.8%, 9.7%, 14.2%, and 16.1%, respectively.
Although multi-tier vehicular Metaverse promises to transform vehicles into essential nodes -- within an interconnected digital ecosystem -- using efficient resource allocation and seamless vehicular twin (VT) migration, this can hardly be achieved by the existing techniques operating in a highly dynamic vehicular environment, since they can hardly balance multi-objective optimization problems such as latency reduction, resource utilization, and user experience (UX). To address these challenges, we introduce a novel multi-tier resource allocation and VT migration framework that integrates Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs), a hierarchical Stackelberg game-based incentive mechanism, and Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning (MADRL). The GCN-based model captures both spatial and temporal dependencies within the vehicular network; the Stackelberg game-based incentive mechanism fosters cooperation between vehicles and infrastructure; and the MADRL algorithm jointly optimizes resource allocation and VT migration in real time. By modeling this dynamic and multi-tier vehicular Metaverse as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), we develop a MADRL-based algorithm dubbed the Multi-Objective Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (MO-MADDPG), which can effectively balances the various conflicting objectives. Extensive simulations validate the effectiveness of this algorithm that is demonstrated to enhance scalability, reliability, and efficiency while considerably improving latency, resource utilization, migration cost, and overall UX by 12.8%, 9.7%, 14.2%, and 16.1%, respectively.