Prediction-based reactive-greedy routing protocol for flying ad hoc networks

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Xianfeng Li, Haoran Sun

Published: 2025, Last Modified: 29 Jan 2026Wirel. Networks 2025EveryoneRevisionsBibTeXCC BY-SA 4.0
Abstract: Routing of flying ad hoc networks is more challenging than traditional Mobile ad hoc networks due to the high mobility of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Reactive protocols that adjust routing according to the location and speed of UAVs are widely researched. In this work, a more aggressive routing protocol that is not only reactive, but also predictive, is proposed. It is based on the salient fact that both the trajectory and change of speed are smooth in most cases, and the recent movement history of UAVs provides valuable information for predicting the change of network topology. Driven by this observation, a Link-stability Prediction-based Adaptive Routing (LPAR) protocol is proposed. LPAR predicts link stability using a time-series-based mobility prediction model and makes routing decisions that are expected to last for a longer duration. In case of link breakage, LPAR can switch to a greedy forwarding mode to reduce dropping packets. Evaluated with NS3 simulation, LPAR achieves better performance than RGR, LAOD, and LB-OPAR under most conditions, with a 20.58% higher packet delivery ratio, a 15.72% lower end-to-end delay (E-2-E delay, notably in high-speed scenarios), and a 37.22% lower network overhead on average.