A Novel Hybrid VANET Routing Protocol with Dynamic Power Management for Performance Enhancement

Abstract

To overcome the inherent compromises between proactive and reactive data transmission in Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs), this research introduces a novel framework tailored for highly unstable vehicular topologies. The developed system, termed the Dynamic Hybrid Routing Protocol (DHRP), merges the Optimised Link State Routing (OLSR) and Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) algorithms. A core feature of this architecture is its cross-layer power management module, which dynamically recalibrates transmission strength and routing paths by analysing real-time vehicle clustering and speed metrics. Comprehensive evaluations conducted via NS-3 and SUMO indicate that the proposed DHRP significantly surpasses both contemporary benchmarks and standard baselines. Notably, the architecture achieves a Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) exceeding 90%, limits communication latency to well below the critical 40 ms safety boundary, and slashes energy expenditure by up to 90%. By effectively solving the traditional routing dichotomy, DHRP offers a highly scalable and sustainable communication backbone vital for the reliable operation of future Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).