A hybrid collision coordination-based multiple access scheme for super dense aerial sensor networks

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This paper proposes novel multiple access schemes for a swarm of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). In a super dense aerial sensor network, small UAVs communicate and transmit data from one to another, and thus leading to unavoidable packet collisions among actors. In light of that, this work introduces a novel proposal of multiple access scheme based on a hybrid collision coordination technique, a combination of CSMA/CA and TDMA protocols. The newly proposed MAC protocol is named as CC-MAC in this paper. Besides, a system model considered in this paper focuses on a swarm of UAVs in a super dense network environment. These UAVs are used to sense and collect a real-time data from a disaster area. The information is then transmitted from joint UAV nodes to a more powerful node called a master UAV. Moreover, this paper also adopts a spatial diversity technique and introduces a simultaneous data transmission scheme based on a partnership of two nearby UAVs. Thus, nodes in a network allocation vector state (NAV) of CC-MAC can simultaneously transmit their packets without any delay or collision. Simulation results show that both proposed MAC protocols offer a huge performance improvement in average throughput and delay compared to an IEEE 802.11 CSMA/CA.