Experiences with virtual mobile nodes that do move in vehicular ad hoc networks

The newly-introduced notion of virtual mobile nodes (VMNs) bears much potential to turn wireless ad hoc networks into more predictable environments, facing the significant challenges raised by the mobility of the (real) nodes. Some authors have started to validate the promises of VMNs in the realm of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), considering simple scenarios of static (i.e. non-mobile) virtual nodes arranged on grids over a given area. What we propose is to make experiments with virtual nodes that do move in the context of vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), which seem propitious to explore alternative arrangements and movement strategies for the VMNs. We present a simulation environment specifically devised to assess these ideas, plus a summary of the results obtained in preliminary experiments that bring additional insight into the potential benefits of VMNs. © 2012 IEEE.