A comprehensive review on recent advancements in routing protocols for flying ad hoc networks

Abstract

AbstractFlying ad hoc networks (FANETs) are a particular type of ad hoc networks, which constitute flying nodes communicating with each other in ad hoc mode. Routing among FANETs has been a subject of interest due to the inherent challenge of handling dynamicity exhibited by the nodes. This survey presents a comprehensive review on recently developed routing protocols for FANETs. In the initial part of this paper, a basic overview of FANETs, their differences with respect to mobile ad hoc networks and vehicular ad hoc networks, evolution of FANET routing protocols, basic categorization of routing protocols, characteristics and design considerations for FANETs, has been presented. Then, an in‐depth study of recently developed FANET routing protocols has been carried out by categorically differentiating them based on their routing mechanism, highlighting their features, strengths, weaknesses, and Quality of Service (QoS) parameters used for testing, in order to identify their suitability for routing data among flying nodes moving at high speeds. Furthermore, a feature comparison of all the discussed protocols has been presented in a summarized form. Lately, an analysis of mobility models, QoS parameters, simulators, and test beds used in the literature has been discussed in order to reflect their effectiveness when used for FANETs. Finally, open issues and future directions related to FANET routing protocols have been mentioned so as to direct the future research in this area for further advancements.