On Efficient Data Transport with Mobile Carriers

In this paper, we consider a network of stationary nodes that rely on mobile nodes to transport data between them. We assume the mobile nodes can control their mobility pattern to respond to traffic loads, as well as satisfy some other secondary objectives, such as surveillance requirements. We study this problem in the framework of cost minimization, where we derive a dual iterative algorithm that results in optimal mobility pattern for minimizing network wide cost. We then implement our proposed algorithm and evaluate its performance on a testbed.