Poster

Abstract

This research proposal investigates the promise of Opportunistic or Delay-tolerant networks (DTNs) for efficient and effective information dissemination in the context of natural disasters. Natural disasters affect the traditional communication infrastructure and thereby call for different unconventional techniques to meet communication requirements. This is because traditional communication infrastructure may get incapacitated due to the severity of the disaster or lack of power supply. Fortunately, majority of population these days owns various wireless devices, such as smart phones and tablets, with multiple communication interfaces (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). These devices with their alternative communication capabilities can be harnessed in a disaster aftermath in the form of DTNs. The rescue and relief operation immediately after disaster is challenging mainly due to the lack of suitable map based navigation assistance and inadequate information regarding resource inventory. Offering map based navigation services and adequate information regarding resource inventory over DTNs become challenging mainly due to unstable connectivity, modified road networks and decentralized resource management at warehouses. These limitations inspire us to explore the possibilities of offering navigation and distributed resource management services over DTNs.