# On-Demand Routing for Urban VANETs using Cooperating UAVs

## TL;DR

This paper proposes a reactive routing technique utilizing cooperating UAVs to enhance connectivity and reduce delays in urban VANETs, demonstrating improved performance over existing protocols through NS-2 simulations.

## Contribution

Introduces a novel on-demand routing method involving UAVs to improve stability and connectivity in highly mobile urban VANETs.

## Key findings

- Reduced end-to-end delay in routing
- Higher data delivery ratio
- Enhanced network connectivity with UAV cooperation

## Abstract

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are characterized by frequent routing path failures due to the high mobility caused by the sudden changes of the direction of vehicles. The routing paths between two different vehicles should be established with this challenge in mind. Stability and connectedness are a mandatory condition to ensure a robust and reliable data delivery. The idea behind this work is to exploit a new reactive routing technique to provide regulated and well-connected routing paths. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or what are referred to as drones can be both involved in the discovery process and be full members in these discovered paths in order to avoid possible disconnections on the ground when the network is sparsely connected. The different tests of this technique are performed based on NS-2 simulator and the outcomes are compared with those of related on-demand routing protocols dedicated for VANETs. Interesting results are distinguished showing a reduced end-to-end delay and a high delivery ratio, which proving that this heterogeneous communication between vehicles and UAVs is able to extend the network connectivity.