Extending ODMRP for on-site deployments in disaster area scenarios

One of the primary application scenarios for mobile wireless multi-hop networks are disaster areas. However, these pose specific challenges for routing, such as mobility and highly unpredictable links. The main applications for disaster area networks - group-based voice communication and group-oriented, map-based tracking - can be realized using multicast groups. Thus, we decided to implement ODMRP for disaster area deployments. In several disaster area maneuver on-site deployments, we identified the need for extensions, making the protocol more suitable for real-world deployments. In this paper, we propose three extensions to ODMRP: (1) link quality based routing, (2) prioritization of control messages, and (3) overhead reduction mechanisms. In simulations as well as in real-world measurements, we show the benefit of the extensions proposed.