Efficient Geocast Routing Protocols for Opportunistic Networks

Unlike communication networks which are traditionally assumed to be connected, Opportunistic networks (OppNets) are a type of ad hoc networks where there is no guarantee of end-to-end path for data routing due to node mobility, volatile links, and frequent disconnections. In such networks, data transmission among the nodes relies on nodes' cooperation and is achieved in a store-carry-and-forward fashion. As such, the design of routing protocols for OppNets is challenging since it relies on opportunistic connections that may arise among the nodes. To address this challenge, this thesis proposes three novel geocast routing protocols for OppNets, namely: (1) an Energy-Efficient Check-and-Spray Geocast (EECSG) routing protocol, (2) a Fuzzy-based Check-and-Spray Geocast (FCSG) protocol and an Energy-Efficient version of it (EFCSG), and (3) a Reinforcement Learning-based Fuzzy Geocast Routing Protocol (RLFGRP). Using the Opportunistic Networks (ONE) simulator along with the INFOCOM 2006 real mobility traces and synthetic mobility models, the proposed routing protocols are evaluated and compared against some benchmark schemes, in terms of predefined performance metrics, showing their superiority.