Acoustic networks of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) cannot typically rely on protocols intended for terrestrial radio networks. This work describes a new location-aware source routing (LASR) protocol shown to provide superior network performance over two commonly used network protocols-flooding and dynamic source routing (DSR)-in simulation studies of underwater acoustic networks of AUVs. LASR shares some features with DSR but also includes an improved link/route metric and a node tracking system. LASR also replaces DSR's shortest-path routing with the expected transmission count (ETX) metric. This allows LASR to make more informed routing decisions, which greatly increases performance compared to DSR. Provision for a node tracking system is another novel addition: using the time-division multiple access (TDMA) feature of the simulated acoustic modem, LASR includes a tracking system that predicts node locations, so that LASR can proactively respond to topology changes. LASR delivers 2-3 times as many messages as flooding in 72% of the simulated missions and delivers 2-4 times as many messages as DSR in 100% of the missions. In 67% of the simulated missions, LASR delivers messages requiring multiple hops to cross the network with 2-5 times greater reliability than flooding or DSR.
Carlson et al. REF designed a reactive, linkstate mobile ad hoc network routing protocol -a location-aware source routing (LASR) protocol that considers the characteristics of underwater acoustic networks.
Location-aware source routing protocol for underwater acoustic networks of AUVs
J. Electrical and Computer Engineering
J. Electrical and Computer Engineering
Computer Science