Real-time Multimedia Communications in Highly Mobile Networks.

Innovative Concepts will develop a communication system that will be deployed on the Loitering Electronic Warfare Killer (LEWK) UAV platform. Innovative Concepts in conjunction with the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) will determine the mosteffective ad-hoc network protocol that will support a highly mobile network architecture in a tactical environment. Specifically, our team will develop a portable open system architecture for a highly mobile, efficient ad-hoc communication protocol thatwill support the LEWK program. Due to the limited bandwidth to carry network control traffic and the dynamics of mobile nodes, conventional routing protocols are not suitable for application in tactical networks. In Phase I of the STTR, InnovativeConcepts investigated the various mobile network architectures and routing algorithms that could be suitable for operation in a highly mobile tactical environment. Our investigation revealed the existence of extensive research in the area of ad-hocnetworks both in academia and in the wireless industry. The characteristics shown to be required by the ad-hoc networking research (connectivity, preventing congestion, frequency management, mobile routing, quality of service, security, multicasting, andaddressing) substantially correspond with the requirements and characteristics of the highly mobile tactical networks described in this proposal Once we select and successfully demonstrate an ad-hoc algorithm that meets all the criteria/specificationsdescribed in this proposal, Innovative Concepts will take the next logical step and port that protocol to our IDM TechnologyT offerings. This would allow us to fly, float, or move across any type of terrain in any type of vehicle to demonstrate the abilityof the concept to make and break networks. This actual demonstration of mobile connectivity would be the most significant result of our efforts during Phase II. The demonstration would identify the network topology, control of routing of data throughoutthe network, and how to optimize the protocol.Since IDM TechnologyT is currently deployed on all Army aviation platforms, F-16s, EA-6Bs, and JSTARS just to name a few, adding ad hoc networking capabilities is the next logical enhancement to developing more versatile communications systems for our warfighters