Statistical Properties of VANET-based Information Spreading

In this work, we present a robust model of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET) in order to study information spreading on such topologies. Vehicles are moving along the fastest routes between their starting points and their destinations on a map derived from a real urban topology. Vehicles can exchange information through the use of short-range wireless communication devices. The source of information is a roadside unit which provides packets for the nearby vehicles. These agents can carry and forward messages for others. As a result of the data dissemination, the major part of the system becomes informed quite quickly. Presented results include the investigation of information spreading in the system, e.g. the time evolution of the average awareness, the age distribution of information owned by separate vehicles and the statistical properties of time intervals between information exchange events. It has been shown how the effectiveness of this complex system depends on the density of intelligent devices. Scale-free behavior was found by time series analysis. Our computer simulation results can help to design smart-city applications of the future.