Disaster-resilient wireless mesh network - Experimental test-bed and demonstration

Based on the lessons learned from the crisis of Great East Japan Earthquake, we started R&D on the disaster-resilient wireless network, which consists of a de-centralized mesh architecture using WLAN in 5.6GHz band for mesh links and WLAN in 2.4 GHz band for access links. The mesh nodes have cash memories synchronized to each other to manage user and routing information, providing various messaging services even if the connection to the Internet or core networks gets lost under disasters. The test-bed also provides relay networks by small unmanned aerial systems (VAS) and a satellite, in order to connect remotely located nodes or to get a connection to isolated areas caused by the infrastructure damages under disasters. A test-bed to evaluate and demonstrate the performance of this concept was developed in the campus of Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan, and a demonstration test was conducted in March 2013. In the test-bed, users access the network using their own smart phones or PCs with WLAN, or their own IC card via street-side signage stations integrated to LED town lights.