Analysis And Optimization Of OLSR And AODV Routing Protocols For Highly Mobile Autonomous Aerial Vehicle Networks: Experimental Performance Evaluation In Various Application Scenarios

Abstract

Driven by the rapid evolution of Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) technology, ad-hoc AAV networks are becoming increasingly significant in diverse domains such as telecommunications, security surveillance, search-and-rescue operations, emergency management, precision agriculture, and cargo transportation. Owing to their flexible deployment and tight coordination capabilities, AAVs enable realtime data exchange, unlocking considerable potential for tasks that demand high accuracy and swift response. Nevertheless, their three-dimensional mobility and continuously changing topology impose substantial challenges on the design of suitable routing solutions, because conventional protocols originally developed for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs) are seldom optimized for aerial characteristics. This discrepancy underscores the necessity for a comprehensive analysis and optimal configuration that satisfy the stringent requirements of low latency, high throughput, and reliability in mission-critical AAV applications. Against this backdrop, the present study focuses on the analysis and modelling of two widely adopted routing protocols—Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) and Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV)—in various deployment contexts of ad-hoc AAV networks. By evaluating the performance of these protocols, we identify their advantages, limitations, and possible enhancement directions, and subsequently propose configuration guidelines that deliver improved link quality.