ABSTRACT
In a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), a node communicates directly with the nodes within wireless range and indirectly with other nodes using a dynamically computed, multi-hop route via the other nodes of the MANET. In order to facilitate communication within the network, a routing protocol is used to discover routes between nodes. The primary goal of such an ad hoc network routing protocol is correct and efficient route establishment between a pair of nodes so that messages may be delivered in a timely manner. Although establishing efficient routes is an important goal, a more challenging goal is to provide energy efficient routing protocols, since a critical limiting factor for a mobile node is its operation time, restricted by battery capacity. However, the wireless link-only routing path in a MANET makes energy savings difficult to achieve. The corresponding reduction of nodes’ lifetime directly affects the network lifetime since mobile nodes themselves collectively form a network infrastructure for routing in a MANET. This article surveys the energy aware routing mechanisms proposed for MANETs.
