The innovation of this SBIR Phase I project is the development of a reliable high-bandwidth Autonomic Ad hoc Wireless Networking (AWN) technology that automatically creates dynamic configurations to form networks on an ad hoc basis, thereby enabling platform and facility wireless networks to automatically self configure without requiring hubs or other infrastructure. Current methods try to build ad hoc networks using a one-size-fits-all approach. That is, they rely on only one ad hoc networking routing protocol, absent of real-time adjustable protocol tuning parameters. Unfortunately, none of the "10-or-more" MANET protocols have been proven to give superior reliability and performance in broad-range live-tests. Our approach is different. We utilize multiple protocols, each with real-time dynamically adjustable network protocol tuning parameters. Therefore, our technology can provide optimal QoS for unexpected events and conditions. This makes our approach ideal for survival after attack and continuity of operations Antiterrorism Homeland Security measures. In phase 1, Viatec Research will investigate several ad hoc routing protocols, perform live tests on two, identify the strengths and weaknesses of each under different scenarios, examine network tuning parameters for dynamic adjustability, develop preliminary design documents for a prototype, and deliver reports and a demonstrative presentation. Military and corporate organizations will benefit from real-time auto-configuration, auto-monitoring and auto-control (reactive and predictive) of their wireless networks. They will get a software and/or inexpensive embedded chip implementation that is platform adaptive and therefore implementable on COTS and proprietary hardware and software platforms for ruggedized and non-ruggedized devices and systems. Military installation product evaluations are planned to be performed at Fort Benning, GA. Deployment into government systems will be pursued by teaming with a large government systems integrator like Harris Corporation. Corporate commercial markets for our Autonomic Ad hoc Wireless technology will be pursued through our Business Partner relationship with IBM. Dataquest estimates that there will be approximately 828 million digital wireless users worldwide by the end of 2003.
