Multipathing communication in heterogeneous ad hoc network

Multipath routing is a solution that meets the requirements of existing systems (security, bandwidth, network lifetime, etc.). Currently, several studies are trying to apply and adapt the principle of multipath in several types of networks for benefiting from its advantages. The wireless network without infrastructure (ad hoc network) is more flexible and less expensive compared to other networks and uses in its turn the multipath routing in the communication between the devices to enhance its strengths. The ad hoc network regroups several categories of network, and each one has its own node characteristics and communication protocol. In most application areas based on new technologies, such as smart cities, precision agriculture, medicine, and others, we can find different types of ad hoc networks in the same architecture constituting a heterogeneous network. So, the heterogeneous ad hoc network (HAdN) appears and brings with it a new line of research concerning the common and compatible routing protocols inside this type of network. This article proposes a new multipath routing protocol version based on the OLSR standard ensuring the direct communication between the various HAdN components. The new protocol will initially be implemented in a specific network architecture consisting of MANET, VANET, and FANET. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd 2021.