Optimized Energy-Efficient Routing for IEEE 802.11-Based Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks: A BEE-AD-HOC Approach

Abstract

Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANETs) are a special type of Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs), and they’re becoming increasingly important for building smart transportation systems, improving road safety, and enabling real-time communication between vehicles. Despite their potential, VANETs face some tough challenges—mainly due to how often vehicles move, how frequently connections drop, and how fast the network's structure changes. These issues make it hard to maintain stable and efficient communication. Traditional routing protocols often struggle in these conditions. They usually don’t handle energy use well or keep routes stable over time. To address this, our research introduces a new energy-efficient routing protocol called BEE-AD-HOC. Inspired by the way bees work together to find the best paths, this protocol is designed specifically for VANETs that use the IEEE 802.11 standard. BEE-AD-HOC aims to find routes that save energy while also minimizing data loss, delay, and extra communication overhead—even when vehicle movement is fast and unpredictable. The protocol considers several key factors when choosing a route, such as how much energy each node has left, how long it takes to send data, and how stable the connection is. Through simulations, we found that BEE-AD-HOC performs much better than existing routing protocols like AODV and DSR. It uses less energy, delivers more data successfully, and handles heavy, fast-changing traffic more efficiently. Thanks to its ability to adapt and stay reliable in real-world conditions, BEE-AD-HOC shows great promise for improving communication in modern vehicle networks.