Pipe Routing with Topology Control for UAV Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a hybrid reactive routing protocol called pipe routing for UAV networks that enhances route stability and throughput by on-demand route discovery and topology control within a limited region.

Contribution

It proposes a novel topology control-based pipe routing scheme that maintains robust connectivity and improves route stability in dynamic UAV networks.

Findings

Reduces route breaks and control overhead.

Increases data throughput in UAV networks.

Maintains coverage while improving connectivity.

Abstract

Routing protocols help in transmitting the sensed data from UAVs monitoring the targets (called target UAVs) to the BS. However, the highly dynamic nature of an autonomous, decentralized UAV network leads to frequent route breaks or traffic disruptions. Traditional routing schemes cannot quickly adapt to dynamic UAV networks and/or incur large control overhead and delays. To establish stable, high-quality routes from target UAVs to the BS, we design a hybrid reactive routing scheme called pipe routing that is mobility, congestion, and energy-aware. The pipe routing scheme discovers routes on-demand and proactively switches to alternate high-quality routes within a limited region around the active routes (called the pipe) when needed, reducing the number of route breaks and increasing data throughput. We then design a novel topology control-based pipe routing scheme to maintain robust connectivity in the pipe region around the active routes, leading to improved route stability and increased throughput with minimal impact on the coverage performance of the UAV network.