Maintaining communication link based on AODV routing protocol in mobile robot networks

Abstract

Wired computer networks are vital in modern life. However, these networks are extremely vulnerable to disaster or attack in emergency situations. Therefore, how to maintain communication link under emergency situations is very important. In this paper, we utilize a series of autonomous mobile slave robots which follow behind the lead robot and automatically stop where needed to maintain an ad hoc network for guaranteeing a link between the lead robot and its remote monitor/control station. To accomplish this target, an efficient communication protocol limitation mobile robots broadcast based on AODV (LMRB-AODV) is proposed for deployment in multi-robot system. After then the lead robot could carry service traffics to the monitor station under emergency situations through the communication link. At any instance, the lead robot has the ability to reclaim the relay robot(s) which are unneeded in the network to rejoin the convoy behind the lead robot and use it to extend the range of wireless communication when the radio frequency (RF) shortcuts are detected by the lead robot. All relay deployment and reclaiming strategy functions occur without the operator's involvement. Finally, we provide a comparative study of their performance in a number of different simulation environments. The results show that the proposed scheme is very efficient in maintaining communication link in wireless network.