WTI

MANETs for Rural Public Safety

Primary Investigator Contact Information

External Project Contact(s)

Report(s)

1. Ad Hoc Routing for Rural Public Safety
   1. Dr. Richard Wolff, Dr. Jian Tang, Mr. Douglas Galarus
   2. 4W1566_Final_Report.pdf

Project Objective

The overall objective of this project is to enhance or develop a routing protocol for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks and conduct proof-of-concept demonstration of Mobile Ad-hoc Networks, as a method for enhancing wireless communications for law enforcement agencies in remote, rural locations.

Project Abstract

Providing responsive and effective public safety requires coordination, command, control, communication and sharing of information with numerous criminal justice, public safety agencies and public utilities. These tasks are particularly challenging in rural and sparsely populated areas, where the lack of communications infrastructure, large distances and difficult terrain adds additional difficulties and complexity. The Hot Springs County Wyoming Sheriff’s Office recently approached researchers at Montana State University to request assistance in addressing and overcoming communications challenges such as these, which they face in normal day-to-day operations. Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) provide the potential for addressing these pressing needs. A MANET is a network of computers that can automatically start communicating when they are close enough to one another to be in wireless range. A team from the Western Transportation Institute and the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Montana State University, and the Hot Springs County Wyoming Sheriff’s Department have initiated a project to develop a routing protocol for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks and field test a MANET, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS SAFECOM program funds research into emerging technologies that can help public safety agencies communicate with each other and coordinate services. Through this project, researchers will develop a standardized routing protocol in response to the requirements of law enforcement agencies in Hot Springs County, Wyoming, with the expectation that the protocol will be applicable to agencies in similar rural locations.

Task Descriptions

1. Discovery
   1. In the discovery phase the project team will work with stakeholders to identify potential solutions, then analyze them to determine if they meet the needs of the public safety community. The project team will present the technical alternatives to stakeholders in the context of the scenarios identified in the evaluation phase.
2. Development
   1. In the development phase the team will develop a standards-based routing protocol most suitable for meeting the Public Safety SoR. Modeling and simulation techniques will be used to verify that the extended protocol meets requirements. A proof-of-concept field demonstration will be conducted in Hot Springs County, in which the functionality of the specified protocol is implemented. The demonstration will be conducted for viewing by public safety officials, and feedback will be solicited for evaluation purposes.
3. Education
   1. In the education phase, the project team will review the Statement of Requirements (SoR) for Public Safety Wireless Communications and Interoperability developed by the Department of Homeland Security. The team will identify and hold meetings with stakeholders from public safety agencies, local government, and tribal organizations in the Hot Springs County area. Through this task, the team will identify scenarios for which Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks might facilitate better communications, and define system needs and requirements
4. Analysis
   1. In the analysis phase the team will draw on the results of the education and discovery phases and explore, in detail, the viability of emerging MANET protocols and underlying wireless technologies to meet the identified requirements. The team will review existing products and standards and conduct a gap analysis. Throughout the analysis, emphasis will be placed on adopting existing protocols, or adapting existing protocols with minimum alteration or extension.
5. Project Management
   1. The project manager and principal investigators will attend an initial kick-off meeting to review and discuss project objectives and to address project issues. This task will also include preparation of a project plan, quarterly progress reports, and a final report.

Milestones, Dates, Schedule

Student Involvement

True

Relationship to Other Research Projects

False

Technology Transfer Activities

False

TRB Keywords

Wireless communication, mobile ad-hoc networks, public safety communications, routing protocols

Partners

U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Hot Springs County, Wyoming; Department of Computer Science, MSU; Department of Electrical Engineering, MSU