Ant-DYMO: A bio-inspired algorithm for MANETS

Mobile ad hoc networks are a set of wireless mobile devices that communicate without fixed infrastructure, forming temporary networks dynamically. Each node in such a network is more than a data receiver/sender, it is also a router that forwards data packets to its proper destination. The main characteristics of ad hoc networks are frequent change in the network topology, limited power of its links and restriction on the bandwidth. A routing protocol for ad hoc networks is composed of a routing algorithm with a set of rules that monitor the operation of the network. Thus, the nodes participating in the network have an important role in the management of resources in ad hoc networks. Ant-based routing is an efficient routing scheme based on the behavior of foraging ants. The study of the collective behavior of ants shows that they are able to find the shortest path from the nest to a food source, using a particular mode of communication by the means of a chemical substance called pheromones. This work uses a mechanism from collective intelligence applied to ad hoc networks, in particular the application of ants for routing in ad hoc networks. We have brought some characteristics from the Dynamic MANET On-demand Routing protocol and other MANET protocols in order to propose the new routing algorithm, called Ant-DYMO. We compare Ant-DYMO with DYMO, and we show that our proposition has improved the packet loss and the end-to-end delay.