Ant-based Dynamic Hop Optimization Protocol: A routing algorithm for Mobile Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, we introduce Ant-based Dynamic Hop Optimization Protocol (ADHOP), a self-configuring reactive routing protocol for dynamic Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Our approach is inspired on HOPNET, a multi-hop and self-configuring hybrid routing protocol based on Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs). The ADHOP design considers several restrictions since WSNs tend to be more stringent than MANETs in respect to resource availability, such as energy consumption, processing power, memory, and bandwidth. There are many challenges in designing routing protocols for WSNs, and topology change is a factor that affects the network lifetime of WSNs. And with the robustness of routing protocols for MANETs, dealing with dynamic topologies becomes a less arduous task. Moreover, ADHOP acting together with ACO allows us to deal with the restrictions of WSNs and yet improve the route discovery and the route maintenance through pheromone. We have evaluated and compared our algorithm to the original HOPNET and obtained better results in terms of data delivery ratio, routing overhead, and congestion avoidance for environments of dynamic topology.