DOI:
Abstract:
Drexel University’s College of Engineering has been working with local law enforcement and transportation officials to develop a Philadelphia Area Urban Wireless Network Testbed (PA-UWNT). The PAUWNT is a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) consisting of PDAs (HP iPAQs), Tablet PCs, and laptops. The PAUWNT integrates: (1) the industrial-strength mobile agent platform of Lockheed’s Advanced Technology Laboratories known as the Extendable Mobile Agent Architecture (EMAA) (2) an 802.11b wireless network with ad hoc routing; and (3) lightweight computing platforms such as PDAs and Tablets. MANETs, such as the PA-UWNT, can allow for a ‘bring your own network” solution to communications and management of rescue workers at the location of a natural disaster, where traditional networking infrastructure is not likely to exist or at best is likely to be inoperable. One of the goals of the PA-UWNT is to enable researchers at Drexel University to study research problems of importance to the enabling of police, fire, security, and other emergency personnel to communicate and collaborate effectively over MANETs.