Communications of Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) combine physical objects or systems with integrated computing facilities and data storage. Such cyber-physical systems can be interconnected in networks, within which they can exchange and share data and information with other objects and systems. However, the current centralized architecture models in CPS and also more general Internet of Things (IoT) systems will struggle to scale up to meet the demands of future CPSs.
To solve these issues, the decentralized and consensus-driven Blockchain and the combination of cryptographic processes behind it can offer an intriguing alternative. For many researchers, the blockchain technology has been seen as one of the most important innovations since the Internet and even of this century. However, it is still in its infancy. Moreover, the combination with CPS/IoT still requires essential insights with respect to concrete application domains, scalability, privacy issues, performance, and potential financial benefits.
This SPECIAL Section will emphasize and focus on the key aspects of the use of blockchain for IoT and CPS applications and will provide the opportunity for researchers across the globe to share their latest research on emerging use cases on blockchain for communications in the domains of IoT and CPSs.
Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
Novel applications of blockchains for IoT and CPSs
Experimental evaluations of blockchain-based IoT and CPSs
Optimization for addressing scale and latency issues that are inherent in traditional blockchains
Lightweight protocols and algorithms for blockchains in IoT and CPSs
Solutions for addressing security and privacy concerns in blockchain-based IoT and CPSs
Novel theoretical concepts in blockchain for IoT and CPSs
New consensus mechanisms geared for IoT and CPSs
Use cases of blockchains for smart cities, smart grids, smart transportation E-health,
Use of Smart contracts for IoT and CPSs
Blockchain-based security frameworks for IoT
Anonymity and privacy solutions for blockchain-based IoT and CPS applications
Testbeds, experiments related to blockchain-based IoT and CPS
The submitted papers should be original, not published, or currently under review for publications in any other journal. Submitted Articles have no page limits and can be any of the following types: technical, tutorial, survey, magazine, letter, or commentary. Also, authors can submit multiple articles to the same issue.