Topology-aware model for collaborative time-slot allocation in maritime ad hoc networks

The strongly time-varying topology of time-division multiple access (TDMA)-based maritime ad hoc networks (MANETs) leads to their low robustness and poor link stability, resulting in a high time-slot collision rate and poor communication-resource utilization. To address these problems, based on the ant colony algorithm (ACA), this research proposes a collaborative time-slot resource optimization allocation strategy for ships. The proposed strategy involves first constructing a topology-aware model, then updating the involved network topology in real time and identifying the network’s center of gravity based on dynamic clustering coefficients, and finally utilizing the pheromone matrix of the ACA for time-slot allocation, realizing optimal dynamic scheduling. Simulation results based on actual ship automatic identification system (AIS) data show that compared to RATDMA, SOTDMA, and BSO-TDMA, the proposed strategy achieves significantly better performance; it exhibits a 39% lower time-slot occupancy rate, an 87% lower collision rate, and a >95% higher network throughput compared to those obtained using RATDMA. Overall, our strategy achieves time-slot collision minimization and performance reliability enhancement for ensuring secure communication in highly dynamic MANETs.