Sector-based Routing with Destination Location Prediction for Underwater Mobile Networks

Unlike in terrestrial sensor networks where the locations of destination nodes are often assumed to be-fixed and accurately known, such assumptions are usually not valid in underwater sensor networks where the destination nodes tend to be mobile inherently, either due to their self-propelling capability, or due to random motion caused by ocean currents. As a result, many existing location-based routing protocols do not work well in underwater environments. We propose a location-based routing protocol that is designed for mobile underwater acoustic sensor networks, called "Sector-based Routing with Destination Location Prediction (SBR-DLP)". While the SBR-DLP also assumes that a node knows its own location like many other location-based routing protocols, it predicts the location of the destination node, and therefore, relaxes the need for precise knowledge of the destination's location. Through simulations, the SBR-DLP is shown to enhance the packet delivery ratio significantly when all nodes are mobile.