A distributed multi-agent algorithm for topology control in mobile ad-hoc networks

Abstract

Without requiring a fixed infrastructure, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) has many application areas, including sensor networks, vehicular networks, robot swarms, and disaster emergency networks. On the other hand, MANETs have dynamic topologies that could be disconnected because of the mobility of nodes. This paper presents an improved flocking algorithm to maintain the connectivity of a MANET using autonomous and intelligent agents. In the proposed flocking algorithm, agents modify their behavior parameters dynamically based on the size of their neighborhoods. A simulation study is conducted to investigate the performance of the new algorithm. Simulation results show that the algorithm outperforms earlier approaches.