This project is developing protocols that exploit the predictability of the node movements to improve the performance of MANETs in terms of reliability, delay, capacity, or other measures. These protocols will operate at the media access control (MAC) and network (routing and forwarding) layers. The protocols are aimed at increasing the network scalability and reliability by: (1) predicting when a route is about to break well in advance of any other prediction techniques (e.g., based on signal strength); (2) finding a new route (or just patching it) by using only local information (the new route does not have to be available at the time it is sought, but, rather, at the time it will be needed - just before the current one breaks); (3) selecting routes optimized for long-life, thus, further reducing the number of route interruptions. This effort will have impact on the fundamental assumptions of mobile ad hoc networking as well as on graduate student education.
