International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ICECOS) 2017
Android-based Application using Mobile Adhoc
Network for Search and Rescue Operation
During Disaster
Vitri Tundjungsari, Ahmad Sabiq
Faculty of Information Technology
YARSI University
Jakarta, Indonesia
Email: [Link]@[Link]
Abstract— Mobile devices supported by architecture also called as ad-hoc networks. Figure
mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) make possible 2 illustrates how ad-hoc wireless connects and
communication and coordination among mobile devices communicate with others.
during emergency situation. In this paper, we develop a
prototype of Android-based application that work using
MANET. The prototype has purpose to provide
communication and information required for search and
rescue operations for emergency scenarios. There are
several emergency cases should be handled rapidly
during disaster, however the infrastructure and
communication network often damaged as the result of
the disaster. We believe that the proposed prototype can
solve the problem of communication problems, mainly
during search and rescue operation. The prototype has
been developed under Android operating system and has
been tested in limited environment. The result shows
that the prototype can work well within 50 m distance
range.
Keywords— MANET, emergency, disaster, Android, search
and rescue
Fig 1. Infrastructure based wireless networks [2]
I. INTRODUCTION
Ad-hoc wireless multi-hop networks (AHWMNs) is a
communication network through wireless connection, in
which data can be forwarded over multiple hops, and which
is at least partly deployed in ad hoc manner [1]. Helen and
Arivazaghan [2] mention that the wireless network
architecture is classified in two types:
1. Wireless network with infrastructure where the
nodes are connected and communicated through
Access Point (AP) as the fixed physical
representation. The examples of this type are:
GSM, UMTS, WLAN, etc. Figure 1 shows how
infrastructure wireless networks connect and
communicate with others.
2. Wireless network with no infrastructure where the
node is connected and communicated without any
fixed physical representation. This type of Figure 2. Ad-hoc wireless networks [2]
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International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ICECOS) 2017
Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) is a type of WMN is very useful to provide enterprise
wireless network with no infrastructure, thus considered as networking, healthcare and medical systems, and
the most suitable candidates for disaster scenarios. It also security surveillance systems.
has similar characteristic in disaster situation due to its 2. Mobile Ad-hoc Network. Mobile ad-hoc network
capability for being self-organized, self-repairing, and self- (MANET) is a set of mobile nodes which
recovery networks. MANET also enables communication communicate over a multi-hop radio network,
among temporarily assembled user terminals without without relying on a stable infrastructure [7]. The
relying on the conventional communication infrastructure topology of multi-hop radio networks is arbitrary
[2]. Those characteristics of MANET are very suitable for and packets need to be routed via hopping through
emergency scenario where the infrastructures are totally a sequence of adjacent nodes. MANET has unique
destroyed and therefore temporary communication network characteristics because the nodes travel, therefore
is very important. In most emergency cases, building and the network topology changes. Each node in
infrastructure are damaged and therefore caused the MANET has independent computing devices
infrastructure’s network shut down and could not be used provided with wireless transceivers. For emergency
properly. As a result of this, collecting and distributing services, MANET is suitable for search and rescue
emergency response information (e.g. during disaster) is not operations in area where the infrastructure is
easy to be obtained because of such uncertainty and unavailable and infeasible. Figure 3 illustrates how
complexity of emergency situation [3]. MANET works.
The main objective of this paper is to present a mobile
based application using Ad-hoc wireless networks as a
solution for emergency cases and discuss its various
challenges. The remaining paper is organized as follows.
Section 2 discusses on how ad hoc network is beneficial in
scenario of emergency. Section 3 presents our application
design and discusses ad-hoc network when it is used in
emergency situation. Finally conclusions and future
direction are discussed in section 4.
II. APPLICATION OF AD-HOC WIRELESS NETWORK IN
EMERGENCY CASES
Ad-hoc network is local area networks that produce an
automatic connection to the nodes in the network [5]. The
Figure 3. MANET [6]
node in the ad hoc network communicates with other node
without any physical representation. Thus, the nodes in the
ad-hoc organization instantly form the network whenever 3. Wireless sensor. Wireless sensor network is one
the communication is established. Each node in the network kind of multi-hop wireless network [8]. A large-
communicates with other node using radio waves. The scale wireless sensor network typically consists of
entire network is distributed and nodes are collaborated with hundreds or thousands of small and cheap sensor
each other without fixed station access point (AP) or base nodes with wireless communication capabilities.
station. Ad-hoc network enable communication for These sensor nodes may form local clusters, and
emergency scenario, e.g. when disaster occurs and destroys reactively or periodically report the sensing results
existing communication infrastructure. to one or multiple base stations via multi-hop
Ad-hoc network is very useful for providing emergency routing. Wireless sensor network is suitable for
services, such as: search and rescue operations and disaster environmental monitoring (e.g.: temperature,
recovery activities. Several authors have proposed solution sound, vibration, pressure, motion or pollutants),
for particular type of disaster area scenario using ad hoc home automation, health application, person
networks in order to perform relief or rescue operation. locator services, industrial control and automation,
Prabha et al. [6] categorizes Ad-hoc Wireless Network, security and public safety, agricultural monitoring
i.e.: (e.g.: sensors detect temperature, light levels and
1. Wireless mesh network. A wireless mesh network soil moisture at hundreds of points across a field
(WMN) is a type of wireless multi-hop ad-hoc and communicate their data over a multi-hop
network consists of radio nodes and organized in a network for analysis)[9].
mesh topology. Wireless mesh networks consist of
mesh clients (nodes), mesh routers and gateways. Moreover, Author in [6] categorizes Mobile Ad-hoc
Network into Vehicle Ad-hoc Network (VANET) and
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International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ICECOS) 2017
Intelligent Vehicle Ad-hoc Network. Figure 4 illustrates for emergency use in Indonesia in terms of its practical use
several categories of Wireless Ad-hoc Network. and cost consideration. We will further discuss our MANET
based application in section 3.
III. DESIGN OF MANET BASED APPLICATION
In this section we will discuss the interface design of
our prototype. The prototype supported by MANET and has
communication feature using text messages that sent by a
mobile device to another. In disaster cases, this is often used
by emergency officer for search and rescue operations. The
feature itself is developed from our previous approach [4],
where search and rescue officer can communicate within its
group.
Figure 5 shows simulation case to show how people can
communicate in emergency or disaster situation. We
describe an example where Peer 1 as Search and Rescue
officer can send message to Super node A. Super Node A
than reply the message back to Peer 1. Peer 1 communicates
with Peer 2 in order to get the required information. Our
previous approach based on peer-to-peer (P2P)
communication using trust and reputation concept [17].
Figure 4. Wireless Ad-hoc Network [6]
There are several works have been done using MANET
for emergency or disaster scenarios. For example, author in
[10] analyze the best routing strategies for MANETs by
selecting a real urban area for the emergency and rescue
operations (i.e.: proactive, reactive, hierarchical). While
Raffelsberger and Hermann Hellwagner [11] evaluate the
performance of several routing protocols for mobile ad-hoc
networks (MANETs) to communicate under emergency
situation.
Jahir and M. Atiquzzaman [12] propose ad-hoc network
architecture to support communication between helicopters
and first responder in disaster scenario. Mahapatra [13]
propose a possible practical communication model for
developing ad hoc network configuration technologies.
Author in [14] analyzes the causes that destroy the
entire communication systems in Jiji Earthquake and
proposes a MANET based emergency communication and
information system to support a large number of rescue
volunteers under catastrophic natural disasters. The design
has objective to search and explore emergency
communication systems that is economical and easy to Figure 5. Communication flow in Emergency Response System
deploy for future catastrophic natural disasters. [4]
Abubakar et al. [15] propose an architecture providing
secure access that combine access control model. The
architecture aims to ensure the security and data integrity The design of our application inherits peer-to-peer
between groups of rescuers. Nguyen et al. [16] introduce ad- (P2P) characteristics, therefore all mobile devices involved
hoc based emergency communication models for wide-scale in MANET participates as equal in network. The device can
disaster management using a resource management scheme read the position of Android device through GPS and will
in order to enhance the system performances. update the longitude and latitude position periodically. The
All those previous researches show that MANET is position then will be sent broadcast to all mobile devices so
suitable in emergency case, because it is inexpensive, easy then other devices can recognize the position of all
to deploy, and provide sufficient performance to provide connected nearby devices. The messages sent by the mobile
communication. However, we have not evaluated MANET
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International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ICECOS) 2017
device also broadcast sent in order to be read by other
connected nearby mobile devices. Figure 6 shows how this
MANET-based application works.
Figure 6. MANET based application mechanism
Figure 8. Prototype’s interface for Search and Rescue
with map feature
Figure 7. Prototype’s interface for Sign In Figure 9. Prototype’s interface for Search and Rescue
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International Conference on Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (ICECOS) 2017
CyanogenMod 11 based on Android 4.4.4 KitKat,and
CyanogenMod 12.1 based on Android 5.1 Lollipop. The
environment setting is limited to distance. The maximum
distance between mobile devices to be able to communicate
with others is 50 meters.
Figure 7 shows the application interface design for
login feature. The application also provide feature to see the
location of others mobile devices/search and rescue officers,
as shown in figure 8 and figure 10. Chat feature among
mobile devices/search and rescue officers can be seen in
figure 8, 9, and 10.
The application is tested on real device as shown in
figure 11. The testing result demonstrates that the
application can support communication among mobile
devices for maximum 50 m distance range.
IV. CONCLUSION
In this paper we present our proposed Android based
application supported by MANET. MANET is suitable to
use in emergency/rescue operations for disaster relief and
recovery efforts (e.g. in fire, flood, or earthquake) since
non-existing or damaged communications infrastructure and
fast utilization of a communication network is required. The
application provide information connected by Android
based mobile devices which operated by rescue officers.
We still have to work further on our prototype to test
what best environment fitted with it. Our future research will
be focused on the testing strategy and implementation on the
Figure 10. Application’s interface for location finder real cases.
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