Collaborative Research: NeTS-NBD: Free-Space-Optical Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (FSO-MANETs)

移动自组织通信开始在其军事起源之外的现实世界中找到应用，如车载通信和延迟容忍网络。随着无线通信的最新进展使射频频谱趋于饱和，在无线通信中启用频谱是未来超高速移动自组织网络(MANET)所需的革命。该项目探索了自由空间光纤(FSO)在超高速移动自组织和机会主义网络环境中的潜力。智能优点：该项目介绍了使用FSO的MANET的基本构建块，以及在高移动性下运行的多跳大容量FSO构建块和协议的原型。覆盖有廉价FSO收发机(例如，VCSEL和光电探测器对)的3-D球形结构通过每个节点提供几个收发机来解决与移动性和视线(LOS)管理相关的问题。这种结构有助于电子视距跟踪(即电子转向？)方法取代传统的机械转向技术。该项目还研究了可靠性协议，因为通过多接口FSO结构管理逻辑数据流是一个主要挑战。通过抽象FSO的方向性和LOS特性，该项目探索了与路由和本地化相关的问题，并在实验室环境中开发了第三层协议和FSO-MANET演示。广泛影响：本研究的结果将通过启用频谱来彻底改变MANET技术。FSO已被用于高空通信，该项目使FSO通信能够在较低海拔和自组织环境中进行。这项研究将为固态照明技术提供新的应用，因为它具有潜在的照明和通信功能的集成。其他影响领域包括：传感器网络、利用定向覆盖协议的对等网络，以及无人机/飞机机载网络和舰船间通信等军事无线应用。

Mobile ad-hoc communication is starting to find real-world applications beyond its military origins, in areas such as vehicular communications and delay tolerant networking. As the RF spectrum is getting saturated by recent advances in wireless communications, enabling optical spectrum in wireless communications is the needed revolution for ultra-high-speed mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) of the future. This project explores the potential for free-space-optics (FSO) in the context of very-high-speed mobile ad-hoc and opportunistic networking. Intellectual Merit: This project introduces basic building blocks for MANETs using FSO and prototypes multi-hop high-capacity FSO building blocks and protocols operating under high mobility. 3-d spherical structures covered with inexpensive FSO transceivers (e.g., VCSEL and photo-detector pair) solve issues relevant to mobility and line-of-sight (LOS) management via availability of several transceivers per node. Such structures facilitate electronic LOS tracking (i.e., ?electronic steering?) methods instead of traditional mechanical steering techniques. The project also investigates reliability protocols as management of logical datastreams through multi-interface FSO structures pose a major challenge. By abstracting FSO directionality and LOS characteristics, the project explores issues relating to routing and localization, and develops layer 3 protocols and FSO-MANET demonstration in a lab setting.Broader Impact: Results of this research can revolutionize the MANET technologies by enabling optical spectrum. FSO has been used at high-altitude communications, and this project enables FSO communications at lower-altitudes and in ad-hoc settings. This research will provide a new application for solid-state lighting technology due to potential integration of illumination and communication functions. Other impact areas include: sensor networks, peer-to-peer networks leveraging directional overlay protocols, and military wireless applications such as UAV/aircraft airborne networks and inter-ship communications.