Message Relay Decision Algorithm to Improve Message Delivery Ratio in DTN-Based Wireless Disaster Information Systems

Efficient and precise relief activities in affected areas are required immediately following disasters. For this purpose, accurate information regarding the affected areas needs to be quickly gathered. However, existing communication infrastructures may not operate following a large-scale disaster. In order to replace such unreliable communication infrastructures, delay/disruption-tolerant networking (DTN) technology has recently attracted attention in disaster information research. In this paper, we propose a new DTN-based message relay decision method for effective communication of disaster information, obtained from victims in affected areas, to the relevant disaster countermeasure offices through a wireless connection. Results of a comparison between our proposed method and the conventional protocol, carried out using computer simulations, highlight three advantages of the former: 1) redundant transmissions are reduced, 2) message delivery ratio improves, even if the storage of user devices is restricted, and, 3) DTN performance improves regardless of the type of routing protocol used.