VANETs Cloud: Architecture, Applications, Challenges, and Issues

Abstract

Vehicles which are the nodes in VANETs are equipped with powerful resources to enable the safe and quick dissemination of information for reliable and trusty intelligent transportation system. These resources of vehicles can be utilized for providing support to various other new VANETs applications for enhancing the driving experience, reducing the road congestions, accidents and to promote pollution-free ITS. In order to support and promote the abovementioned tasks, a concept of vehicular cloud is getting a lot of attention nowadays. Introduction of VANETs cloud has led to the expansion in the perimeter of the capabilities of VANETs and ITS by enabling newer types of collaborations between the vehicles and also given rise to a plethora of emerging applications and services. In this study, an in-depth review covering all the possible aspects associated with VANETs cloud has been explored. To begin with, concepts like architectures, communication types supported in VANETs cloud has been analyzed. A motivation explaining the need of VANETs cloud in today’s scenario has been briefly overviewed. Then, a detailed comparison illustrating the similarities and differences between the VANETs cloud and its parent’s network i.e. VANETs is presented. In this article, our main focus is on finding the various applications that will be supported by VANETs cloud. Various challenges in terms of security, deployment and in the use of VANETs cloud has been explored. Finally, applicability of VANETs cloud with various emerging technologies like IoT, software defined networks, and cognitive radio in terms of their applications, challenges, issues, and benefits has been presented in this article. This study on the collaboration of VANETs and cloud is believed to assist the researchers working on this field to find out the current status of research in VANETs clouds along with the challenges that one can face during its deployment.