IEEE <italic>Access</italic> Special Section Editorial: Resource Management in Vehicular Adhoc Networks: Energy Management, Communication Protocol and Future Applications

Abstract

The advancements in technology have transformed the vehicles moving around us into intelligent machines. These vehicles now have the capabilities to communicate and share useful information with each other under a communication network known as Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANETs). The aim of this vehicular digitization was to enhance the standard, ease, leisure and safety of passengers, drivers and pedestrians on the roads. Using the power of intelligent decision making and the capability of interconnectivity, VANETs has enabled vehicles to communicate and operate in different modes, such as Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), Vehicle-to-Sensor (V2S), Vehicle-to-broadband cloud (V2B) and Vehicle-to-Human (V2H). Vehicular communications in all these modes rely on vehicular characteristics, diverse road structures and resource management during the operations of VANETs. To meet the quality requirements, the vehicular characteristics and network constrains are always focused to improve VANETs performance. Vehicular communication is established by using infrastructure and devices based on the operational policies defined in the Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), IEEE 802.11p and Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) standards. The standards addresses the VANETs key issues regarding extension of coverage areas, impact of high vehicular velocities and dynamic road conditions on communications. The standards also outline the management of a multi-path phenomena whilst cooperating with multiple ad-hoc networks and providing a suitable environment for the merger of future technologies and applications with VANETs [item 1) in the Appendix].