B2BANET: Design and Implemintation of Network

Automobiles are considered to be the major mode of transportation by millions of world’s inhabitants. With the growing population rate, the transportation mechanism has become complex. The increasing demand of transport has made the communication between vehicles a necessity with high priority of safety and entertainment. The widespread use of transport has caused traffic saturation, congestion and increased probability of accidents(Jain, 2018). These facts have motivated the engineers and mechanics to develop application that aid vehicle conductors in taking decisions about routes while providing safety to all of its occupants. These applications can also aid the vehicle operators in avoiding traffic jams by choosing the less congested trajectory(Mezher, Paredes, Urquiza-Aguiar, Moreira, & Igartua, 2015). This will also help in increasing vehicle’s efficiency thereby contributing in reduction of environmental pollution. Vehicle Ad-hoc Network (VANET) is a type of application that allows the vehicle operators in gaining these advantages.

VANET is not a new topic in communication networking area, yet it has continued to provide new research challenges and problems. VANET is a type of Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) which is defined as a network that connects autonomous nodes composed of mobile devices or other mobile pieces arranged in several ways(K. D. Singh, Rawat, & Bonnin, 2014). These nodes work under a top-down network administration setting. MANETs are categorized under VANET, InVANET and iMANET. VANET has the main aim of aiding vehicles group in maintaining smooth communication using any central base controller or station(Alves & Wille, 2018). In VANET vehicles, the messages are transmitted and received through a wireless VANET based application on intelligent transportation system. Using the promised future potential of VANET, it has been chosen to achieve a smart buses system(Mezher et al., 2015). The major aim of this project is to build on an IoT based system that will help in reducing waiting passenger time at bus stations and reduce the traffic congestion. VANET will allow the passengers to track the incoming buses through GPS location while the drivers will get notifications over available number of passengers at upcoming bus station. The main contribution of this paper is to present current state-of-the art in VANET technology that can be used in designing of automated intelligent buses system. Many VANETs have been proposed by other researchers, yet this study aims at suggesting a novel solution to achieve reduction in waiting time, traffic congestion and safety maximization. A detailed study of the networking architecture along with different topologies and network modelling will be presented in this paper. This paper will also discuss routing algorithms, designing, software designing and security system of VANET technology to be used in intelligent buses system model.

With the development of wireless networking, VANET has received much attention on data delivery services. Especially intelligent transportations system(ITS) has already been using VANET for collecting traffic statistical data, routing data and identification of vehicle’s current locations(Yang & Bagrodia, 2009). Traffic Control Centers (TCC) also used VANET for collecting and maintains the vehicle information without allowing access over location of vehicles to others(Nafi & Khan, 2012). VANET allows TCC to support safety and non-safety related applications as well that allows in preventing traffic congestion, detection of gunshots and accident alerts.

1.1 General System and Background

The new era of Internet of Things (IoT) has driven the evolution of conventional VANETs into the Internet of Vehicles (IoV). Through IoV, the vehicles are able to interact real-time with each other(Gerla, Lee, Pau, & Lee, 2014). Whereas, IoV also allows the real-time interaction between roads and vehicles and vehicles and cities through mobile-communication technology, smart-terminal devices, vehicle navigation systems and communication platforms over which driving instruction controlling system is managed(Sakiz & Sen, 2017).

The term VANET refers to the wireless vehicular network that has a dynamic topology, limited bandwidth and limited security node. Due to these features, it becomes essential for VANETs to have a data delivery service so that reliable communication can be ensured regardless of nodes mobility, minimization of bandwidth consumption and secure level of communication(Dow, Hsuan, Lee, Lee, & Huang, 2010). VANETs, in building intelligent transportation system requires software for gaining destination routing data, securing communication and selecting the destination. The data routing can be ensured through building routing protocols that determines the pathway between two vehicles while the destination selection can be done through transmission method(Sousa et al., 2010). The best path selected for the vehicle is done based on “cost” of each path incurred for reaching the desired destination.

Global positioning system (GPS), navigation systems and environmental awareness software are trending in the modern vehicles now days(Leung, 2010). These features allow the vehicles in preventing collisions, integrating wireless access systems and improving the performance of vehicles. The VANETs provide two types of communications for the vehicles i.e. vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to infrastructure (V2I) (see figure 1)(Aadil, Rizwan, & Akram, 2011). In V2V communication, the VANETs are formed amongst the vehicles so that information like safety provisions is communicated whereas in V2I, the information is exchanged between roadside units and onboard units of the vehicles (see figure 2)(Rehman, Khan, Zia, & Zheng, 2013).

Figure 1: Taxonomy of VANET Communication

Source:(Aadil et al., 2011)

Figure 2: VANETs

Source: (Rehman et al., 2013)

VANETs use the vehicles as mobile nodes in order to create a mobile ad-hoc network. The vehicles using VANETs move in predefined road paths where vehicles communicate either with other vehicles (V2V) or with the fixed equipment situated next to road called road-side unit (RSU)(Reena, 2015). The RSUs can be either the toll plazas or bus stations. V2V communication is complex as compared to V2I. In the later, the communication is done through centralized servers available on internet based on various technologies and networks. Currently efforts are being made by the cellular operators for enhancing overall networking capacity so that support can be given for V2I communications(Yousefi, Mousavi, & Fathy, 2006). Vehicles to road-side units (V2R) include communication with short-distanced units like toll plazas, bus stations etc. (see figure 2 above). However, the communication in V2V is done ranging between 300 m to 1 km in free spaces(Rehman et al., 2013). Currently the connectivity process is not standardized in VANETs thus requiring development of new Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC) standards for V2V and V2R communications. The new DSRC systems will allow point-to-point communication at short range. Several standards and technologies like 2G/3G/4G are available for enhancing the vehicular communication amongst other vehicles and road-side units(Jain, 2018). However, the challenge is to develop technologies and standards that are interoperable and provide good coverage along with security at lower cost.

Bus-VANETs allow the buses driving along the road to gain information from RSUs through V2I communication platform(Jiang & Du, 2013). However, the buses share the critical information like available seats, selected route and number of on-board passengers with other buses on the same route through V2V communication. The routing protocols of Bus-VANETs can be found in several studies where the data packets are used by exploitation of longer transmission range and driving route that is most predictable(Ho, 2011). Bus-VANETs allow the bus drivers to offload data from cellular networks where images, audios or videos can be downloaded or uploaded through RSU rather than through cellular bands while passing through them. Some of the studies have explored the RSU’s role in IoV system and pointed it out to be an essential component that provides sensing, processing, communication and computing capabilities to vehicles(Sakiz & Sen, 2017). RSUs are the physical bodies that could be equipped with cameras, speed checkers or even Wi-Fi outputs. RSUs are most likely to be digital billboards, motion detecting outlets, smart bus stops and toll collection boxes. Smart bus stop is a RSU that could be connected directly or indirectly with cloud (internet) for storing, passing, computing, communicating and processing information regarding bus routes, passenger counts, vacant bus seats, estimated arrival time and number of further stops(Zhou, Dai, & Li, 2013).

In VANETs, the RSUs use DSRC for communicating with peer RSUs (one smart bus stop to the other smart bus stop) and with buses on the road. RSUs in Bus-VANET are usually connected either directly or indirectly with the internet(Zhou et al., 2013). In the event of indirect internet connection, the RSUs communicate through DSRC or wired connections that connect others internet enabled RSUs. Whereas, internet technologies like 6LowPAN, Wi-Max, Wi-Fi, 2G/3G/4G and DSRC can be used for transmitting and communicating important information between RSUs and vehicles(Iqbal, 2018). In the RSUs, the application layer is considered to be the most comprehensive layer that provides cloud-based applications and services. Some of the major services and applications that can be provided by RSUs (smart bus stations) include infotainment applications (media sharing, internet sharing etc.), bus routes, maps for navigation, information about nearby restaurants, warnings and safety messages, expected time of bus arrival, number of vacant seats in coming bus, number of passengers in the bus and expected time of next bus arrival(Chou, Tseng, & Yang, 2013).

In the intelligent transport systems based on VANET, the information about bus can be broadcasted with the RSUs and other peer buses within the range of the RSUs(Nafi & Khan, 2012). The information presentation on the smart bus stops (RSU) can be used by the passengers as well as by the drivers. For instance, if there is no vacant seat for the passengers in the upcoming bus, the bus driver will be notified to not to stop over the bus station and carry on to travels unless there are vacant seats. This could only be done by the drivers by having full information about non-availability and availability of the seats and number of passengers standing at bus stop (see figure 3 below)(Ho, 2011). The information will be broadcasted by the RSU (smart bus stop) to all the buses and RSUs within the range. In traditional public transport system, the absence of proper information would be translated into wastage of fuel, frustration amongst passengers due to overloading, wastage of time and inefficient route timing. In order to avoid this wastage, VANETs system can be used that that the passengers could get information about capacity of bus, location of bus, number of passengers on-board and timings of the arrival of the bus. In case of theft, accidents or other violent activity (like gun shots), the VANETs system will broadcast the warnings and safety announcement for passengers and other buses on the route likewise(Leung, 2010).

1.2 Challenges

Along with many benefits of VANET, there are several challenges and problems facing the application of this system. Lack of infrastructure and additional responsibilities over vehicles pose new threats to successful integration and implementation of the system(S. Singh & Agrawal, 2014). This is because several vehicles become participants of the network while managing and controlling the communication over the network. In this paper, we have focused on the scenario where multiple smart bus stations (RSUs) are cooperated for providing information related to buses on routes via V2I communication system using cloud platform, IoT device and touch bus stop display. However, due to limited coverage of the RSUs, the buses might not be able to retrieve the needed information through V2I communication platforms(Chahal, Harit, Mishra, Sangaiah, & Zheng, 2017). With V2V communication process, the buses on different routes can also share their cached information with other bus drivers on the same route. However, it is challenging for designing an efficient mechanism system that can be used for data dissemination in such complex environment(Mekki, Jabri, Rachedi, & Jemaa, 2017).

The V2V communication amongst buses is challenging due to several reasons. Firstly, as the urban bus system is a little complicated in which the bus routes are dependent upon road topology that makes it difficult to estimate the encounter probability of two buses(Jiang & Du, 2015). Secondly, for making scheduling decision, exploitation of the synergy between the encounter probability and requested information is required(Jiang & Du, 2013). Such an effort is considered to be non-trivial. Thirdly, the vehicles in VANETs tend to move in high velocities during the data transmission process, it might lead towards loss of packet and cause link failures. The rates of packet loss can be as much as 20% as the buses/cars move(Xu, Wu, Xu, & Sun, 2012). Moreover, transmitting information in audios and videos can be very challenging due to short contact duration time amongst vehicles or between the vehicles and RSUs.

RSUs are the smart sensing, processing, communicating, computing and storing devices that provide the required services without having human to interact(Zhang, Liu, Leung, Chu, & Jin, 2015). However, these RSUs like smart bus stops with self-operating capabilities bring in light the ethical concerns when it comes to information gathering, dissemination, decision making and communication. Currently, no significant effort has been made towards designing of the ethical code of conduct for RSUs in the IoV systems due to several complexities(Iqbal, 2018). Firstly, the architectural design of RSUs is usually complicated that include concerns like security, trust management, privacy, gateway, web servicing layers, EDGE computing and traditional layers. Secondly, the security and privacy also play crucial role in development of the VANETs system(Iqbal, 2018). Due to being exposed to an open environment, the security concerns can arise including social engineering, masquerading, Denial of Service, eavesdropping etc.(Iqbal, 2018). The information transmitted about number of passengers in coming bus and possible routes can be crucial in events like robbery, theft and other violent crimes. The information can be used for breaching of privacy and data modification. These ethical concerns can cause the application of VANETs for public transport to be inefficient(Busanelli, 2014).

Other than the above challenges, the smooth deployment of VANET requires further challenges to be addressed first. These challenges relate to mobility & dynamic network topology and routing issues. Due to the high mobility (like 100 to 200 km/h) of the vehicles make the overall topology of VANETs very challenging(Vegni, Biagi, & Cusani, 2013). The density of vehicles varies from being sparse to dense that cause fragmented problems in VANET. High speed of the vehicles can also result in network unreachability that can degrade the performance of the VANET application. Furthermore, the high speed of the vehicles can also topple the signals and cause fast fading. Apart from topology challenges, the routing issues can also pose a threat to efficient deployment of VANETs. The conventional routing protocols do not suit the VANET system due to its specific networking characteristics including frequent disconnections and fluctuating network topology(Chahal et al., 2017).

Since VANETs are different from MANETs due to its localization, various network nodes, hard delay constraints and rapid topology change characteristics, so there are different challenges faced by VANETs than MANETs. The major challenges include frequent neighbourhood change due to higher rate of mobility, increasing channel load, irregular connectivity issues and packet loss due to hidden terminal problems(Iqbal, 2018). In VANETs, the critical information is required to be disseminated as quickly as possible, however it is a challenge to send the critical information within the given time frame due to limited transmission range of DSRC. The failure to timely and accurately disseminate the critical information to RSUs or other vehicles can lead to collateral damage to the neighboring vehicles and the passengers(Mekki et al., 2017). However, the DSRC based VANETs are considered to be traditional with wired connectivity amongst RSUs. This has caused the surge in demand for cloud-based connectivity of VANETs amongst vehicles (V2V) and with the RSUs(Mekki et al., 2017).

Power management in VANET is another challenge that is concerned with the power of transmission of the messages(Jakubiak & Koucheryavy, 2008). Whenever the power is too high, the transmission can get disrupted while affecting other transmissions at distant nodes due to high interferences. It is recommended to use lesser transmission power wherever the network is denser. In order to maximize overall throughput of transmission and minimize the interferences, the adjustment of transmission power must be done in the VANETs(Jakubiak & Koucheryavy, 2008). Apart from transmission power, other major challenges include efficient routing, varying density over time, fading wireless channel and huge size of VANETs. Previously, the routing of VANET development was based on single ad hoc routing method or traditional ad hoc topology. However, these methods are not sufficient enough to meet the different varieties of ad hoc networks. With the passage of time, the need for developing new protocols arose for achieving successful communication amongst vehicles and with RSUs(Jakubiak & Koucheryavy, 2008).

The cloud based VANETs in future are also prone to face challenges including intermittent connectivity, high mobility and location awareness, heterogeneous vehicle management, high latency, security and low bandwidth(Aadil et al., 2011). In order to maintain intermittent connectivity, the packet data loss needs to be avoided in vehicular networks and RSUs. Similarly, for coping up with the emergency situations, each vehicle connected via VANET requires location awareness and high mobility(Rehman et al., 2013). Moreover, management of heterogeneous vehicles and the connections between them sporadically is considered as the future challenge for VANETs based on cloud internet.

1.3 Scope and Research Questions

The study in this thesis is in response to an increasingly technological and connected world. Scientific discoveries, engineering achievements, and social dynamics have led to the evolution of human societies. In the last two decades, ways in which people interacted and lived have changed, mainly because of the new technologies.

Although VANET and BusNET have been an active research area for years, to date there has been no actual real-life implementation of them due to a lack of necessary roadside infrastructures. Furthermore, in the case of BusNET, there has been a lack of research on how the bus stops can be designed as smart infrastructure to apply the VANET and to add value for the commuters and public transport providers.

To this end, our first two objectives are to find a solution to overcome this infrastructure problem and then design an effective, smart framework called B2BANET. The final objective is to implement the proposed framework in Saudi’s NEOM City to validate its feasibility.

To achieve the above objectives, we explore the following IoT and VANET related technologies in the thesis:

Sensing technology.
Wireless technology.
Computational technology.

Due to the space and time constraints, the scope of our research is confined to applying the above technologies to public bus transportation in a smart city. In a nutshell, the roadside infrastructure (bus stops) is replaced with our proposed node architecture in a multi-level wireless sensor network (WSN); for details, please see Chapter 4.

In addition to the above issues, other research questions based on the challenges expounded in Section 1.2 to be investigated include:

How could our designed node architecture sense, process, communicate, compute and store data in a secure, private and effective manner?
Bus routes depend on road topology. How could our proposed model estimate the encounter probability of buses for making scheduling decision?

The highlight research Questions are the essential of my research

What is the impact of using VANET technology to the communities and the government?
How the level of Collaboration, Communication and Interaction would help in applying Smart transportation in smart cities:
Does smart application would fill the gap between technology and costumer to lead people to use more public transportation than private.
Does increasing the number of services from the provider would raise the number of people using public transportation
How applying VANET technology efficient to Increase number of people using public transportation in Saudi Arabia smart city?
How could our proposed routing protocol B2BANET (s) be able to disseminate critical information within a given timeframe (QoS) due to limited transmitted range of DSRC