Intelligent Data-Driven Task Offloading Framework for Internet of Vehicles Using Edge Computing and Reinforcement Learning

Introduction: The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) was enabled through innovative developments featuring advanced automotive networking and communication to fulfill the need for real-time applications that are latency-sensitive, such as autonomous driving and emergency management. Given that the servers were much farther away from the actual site of operation, traditional cloud computing faced huge delays in processing. Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) resolved this challenge by enabling localized data processing, reducing latency and enhancing resource utilization. Methods: This study proposed an Efficient Mobile Edge Computing-based Internet of Vehicles Task Offloading Framework (EMEC-IoVTOF). The framework integrated deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to optimize task offloading decisions, focusing on minimizing latency and energy consumption while accounting for bandwidth and computational constraints. Offloading costs were calculated using mathematical modeling and further optimized through Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). An adaptive inertia weight mechanism was implemented to avoid local optimization and enhance task allocation decisions. Result: The proposed framework was thus proved effective for any latency reduction and energy consumption optimization in efficiently improving the overall system performance. DRL and MEC together facilitate scalability in task distribution by ensuring robust performance in dynamic vehicular environments. Integration with PSO further enhances the decision-making process and makes the system highly adaptable to dynamic task demands and network conditions. Discussion:The findings highlighted the potential of EMEC-IoVTOF to address key challenges in IoV systems, including latency, energy efficiency, and bandwidth utilization. Future research could explore real-world deployment and adaptability to complex vehicular scenarios, further validating its scalability and reliability.