An Efficient and Reliable Routing Method for Hybrid Mobile Ad Hoc Networks Using Deep Reinforcement Learning

Abstract

With the reliance of humans on mobile smart devices that have wireless communication, modules have significantly increased in recent years. Using these devices to communicate with the survivors during a disaster or its aftermath can significantly increase the chances of locating and saving them. Accordingly, a method is proposed in this study to extend the lifetime of the nodes in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) while maintaining communications with the nearest base station (BS). Such a methodology allows the rapid establishment of temporary communications with these survivors, as restoring the complex infrastructure is a time-consuming process. The proposed method achieves the longer lifetime of the network by balancing the load throughout the nodes and avoids exhausting those with limited remaining energy. The proposed method has shown significant improvement in the lifetime of the MANET while maintaining similar Packet Delivery Rate (PDR) and route generation time, compared to existing methods.