A Novel Mobility-Based Clustering Algorithm for VANETs

Due to the development of communication and other related technologies, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANET) have been experiencing a rapid development in the recent years. Clustering has been proved an effective way to manage the wireless resource, control the network topology, and simplify the routing in VANETs. However, it is difficult to construct stable clusters in VANETs, because of the high mobility of vehicles and poor quality of wireless channels. In this paper, we propose a novel mobility-based clustering algorithm (MBC) for VANETs, in order to enhance the stability of clusters. Different from the existing work, this algorithm is tailored for VANETs. It takes the direction, speed difference and position of vehicles into consideration, when selecting the cluster head. Simulation results show that the proposed clustering algorithm significantly increases the average cluster head lifetime, and reduces the average number of clusters changed per vehicle during the simulation. Copyright © 2014 IFSA Publishing, S. L.