Optical wireless communication (OWC) refers to transmission in unguided propagation media through the use of optical carriers, i.e., visible, infrared (IR), and ultraviolet (UV) bands. In this survey, we focus on outdoor terrestrial OWC links which operate in near IR band. These are widely referred to as free space optical (FSO) communication in the literature. FSO systems are used for high rate communication between two fixed points over distances up to several kilometers. In comparison to radio-frequency (RF) counterparts, FSO links have a very high optical bandwidth available, allowing much higher data rates. They are appealing for a wide range of applications such as metropolitan area network (MAN) extension, local area network (LAN)-to-LAN connectivity, fiber back-up, backhaul for wireless cellular networks, disaster recovery, high definition TV and medical image/video transmission, wireless video surveillance/monitoring, and quantum key distribution among others. Despite the major advantages of FSO technology and variety of its application areas, its widespread use has been hampered by its rather disappointing link reliability particularly in long ranges due to atmospheric turbulence-induced fading and sensitivity to weather conditions. In the last five years or so, there has been a surge of interest in FSO research to address these major technical challenges. Several innovative physical layer concepts, originally introduced in the context of RF systems, such as multiple-input multiple-output communication, cooperative diversity, and adaptive transmission have been recently explored for the design of next generation FSO systems. In this paper, we present an up-to-date survey on FSO communication systems. The first part describes FSO channel models and transmitter/receiver structures. In the second part, we provide details on information theoretical limits of FSO channels and algorithmic-level system design research activities to approach these limits. Specific topics include advances in modulation, channel coding, spatial/cooperative diversity techniques, adaptive transmission, and hybrid RF/FSO systems.

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Survey on Free Space Optical Communication: A Communication Theory Perspective

In this paper, we consider a novel mobile relaying technique, where the relay nodes are mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and hence are capable of moving at high speed. Compared with conventional static relaying, mobile relaying offers a new degree of freedom for performance enhancement via careful relay trajectory design. We study the throughput maximization problem in mobile relaying systems by optimizing the source/relay transmit power along with the relay trajectory, subject to practical mobility constraints (on the UAV’s speed and initial/final relay locations), as well as the information-causality constraint at the relay. It is shown that for the fixed relay trajectory, the throughput-optimal source/relay power allocations over time follow a “staircase” water filling structure, with non-increasing and non-decreasing water levels at the source and relay, respectively. On the other hand, with given power allocations, the throughput can be further improved by optimizing the UAV’s trajectory via successive convex optimization. An iterative algorithm is thus proposed to optimize the power allocations and relay trajectory alternately. Furthermore, for the special case with free initial and final relay locations, the jointly optimal power allocation and relay trajectory are derived. Numerical results show that by optimizing the trajectory of the relay and power allocations adaptive to its induced channel variation, mobile relaying is able to achieve significant throughput gains over the conventional static relaying.

Throughput Maximization for UAV-Enabled Mobile Relaying Systems

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or aerial drones, are an emerging technology with significant market potential. UAVs may lead to substantial cost savings in, for instance, monitoring of difficult-to-access infrastructure, spraying fields and performing surveillance in precision agriculture, as well as in deliveries of packages. In some applications, like disaster management, transport of medical supplies, or environmental monitoring, aerial drones may even help save lives. In this article, we provide a literature survey on optimization approaches to civil applications of UAVs. Our goal is to provide a fast point of entry into the topic for interested researchers and operations planning specialists. We describe the most promising aerial drone applications and outline characteristics of aerial drones relevant to operations planning. In this review of more than 200 articles, we provide insights into widespread and emerging modeling approaches. We conclude by suggesting promising directions for future research.

Optimization approaches for civil applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or aerial drones: A survey

Flexgrid technology is now considered to be a promising solution for future high-speed network design. In this context, we need a tutorial that covers the key aspects of elastic optical networks. This tutorial paper starts with a brief introduction of the elastic optical network and its unique characteristics. The paper then moves to the architecture of the elastic optical network and its operation principle. To complete the discussion of network architecture, this paper focuses on the different node architectures, and compares their performance in terms of scalability and flexibility. Thereafter, this paper reviews and classifies routing and spectrum allocation (RSA) approaches including their pros and cons. Furthermore, various aspects, namely, fragmentation, modulation, quality-of-transmission, traffic grooming, survivability, energy saving, and networking cost related to RSA, are presented. Finally, the paper explores the experimental demonstrations that have tested the functionality of the elastic optical network, and follows that with the research challenges and open issues posed by flexible networks.

Routing and Spectrum Allocation in Elastic Optical Networks: A Tutorial

The introduction of intelligent devices with short range wireless communication techniques has motivated the development of Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANETs) during the last few years. However, traditional end-to-end based routing algorithms designed for MANETs are not much robust in the challenged networks suffering from frequent disruption, sparse network density and limited device capability. Such challenged networks, also known as Intermittently Connected Networks (ICNs) adopt the Store-Carry-Forward (SCF) behavior arising from the mobility of mobile nodes for message relaying. In this article, we consider the term ICNs as Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networks (DTNs) for the purpose of generalization, since DTNs have been envisioned for different applications with a large number of proposed routing algorithms. Motivated by the great interest from the research community, we firstly review the existing unicasting issue of DTNs because of its extensive research stage. Then, we also address multicasting and anycasting issues in DTNs considering their perspectives. A detail survey based on our taxonomy over the period from 2006 to 2010 is not only provided but also a comparison is given. We further identify the remaining challenges and open issues followed by an evaluation framework proposed for routing in DTNs. Finally, we summarize our contribution with three future research topics highlighted.

Routing in Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networks: A Taxonomy, Survey and Challenges

Nowadays, wireless networks are witnessing several deployments in various extreme environments where they suffer from different levels of link disruptions depending on the severity of the operating conditions. In all cases, their operation requirements are differently altered and their performance is negatively affected rendering them heterogeneous by nature. In the open literature, these networks are known as Intermittently Connected Networks (ICNs). The existing Internet protocols fail to operate properly in the context of ICNs, thus raising a variety of new challenging problems that are attracting the attention of the networking research community. Delay-/Disruption-Tolerant Networking emerged as a highly active area of research where networking experts compete in addressing the various ICN problems. Over time, unicast routing, one of the architectural key components common to all ICNs, became an almost independent field of research in which significant efforts continue to be invested. In contrast, network architectural designs, scheduling and forwarding issues dating from the early days of Inter-Planetary Networks (IPNs) have received relatively little attention and accumulate numerous pending challenges. Moreover, the gap caused by the lack of accurate ICN mathematical models is still large irrespective of some of the appreciated seminal works in this direction. This paper sheds the light over the latest advancements in each of the above-mentioned research sectors and highlight pending open issues in each of them.

Disruption-Tolerant Networking: A Comprehensive Survey on Recent Developments and Persisting Challenges

This article proposes a service level agreement applied to the optical domain (O-SLA), which is expected to be the near- and long-term network technology of the great bandwidth capacity offered by optical devices. After an exposition of the rationale behind an optical SLA, parameters that could be included in this O-SLA, as well as their values for four classes of services are proposed. Different client (wavelength or subwavelength) and service types (from leased wavelength to bandwidth on demand) are distinguished when necessary. The last part of this article presents issues related to the provisioning of services emanating from this O-SLA.

Service level agreement and provisioning in optical networks

Relay-assisted FSO systems were proposed as a means for remedying the effects of the various atmospheric impairments on the quality of the FSO signal. Conventional relay-assisted FSO systems, however, are designed around two basic assumptions: relays are buffer-free, and relays are stationary. This article proposes to improve the performance of the existing relay-assisted FSO systems by relaxing both of these highly restrictive assumptions through the integration of UAVs as buffer-aided moving relays into the conventional relay-assisted FSO systems. Specifically, two possible simple integration scenarios are proposed and analyzed through simulation. The obtained simulation results demonstrate the great potential associated with the proposed highly promising, innovative, hybrid FSO architecture. Given that high performance gains are observed under small buffer sizes, it becomes conceivable to employ buffer-aided moving relaying UAVs to serve a variety of other purposes. This includes, for instance, having these UAVs oversee the operation of amateur drones for potential misbehavior or wrongdoing within the area of their deployment.

UAV-Aided Cooperation for FSO Communication Systems

The performance of vehicular data networks (VDNs) is highly dependent on vehicular traffic. Existing studies on VDNs consider custom-developed traffic models that mimic real-life vehicular traffic behavior and prepare the ground for accurate VDN performance evaluation. Traffic evolution is affected by numerous random events. Some developed models are microscopic. They independently consider some possible factors (e.g., weather, road geometry, and drivers' skills). These microscopic models are complex, and their implementations may be costly. Other models are macroscopic. They revolve around only the following three major traffic parameters: 1) density; 2) flow; and 3) speed. The majority of such existing models are unrealistic, because they are based on restrictive assumptions tailored to their enclosing study. Comparing the performance of VDN protocols becomes adequate if and only if these protocols are all developed on top of the same traffic model. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. Hence, the design of a generic traffic model that serves as a basis for future studies on VDNs is equally urgent and important. This paper presents a comprehensive and traffic-theory-inspired macroscopic description of vehicular traffic behavior over roadway facilities that operate under free-flow traffic conditions. Accordingly, a simple and tractable macroscopic traffic model is proposed. Extensive simulations are conducted to verify the validity of the proposed model and its high accuracy.

A Simple Free-Flow Traffic Model for Vehicular Intermittently Connected Networks

One class of Vehicular Delay-Tolerant Networks consists of two node types: stationary and mobile. Stationary nodes deployed along roadsides cannot directly communicate as they are considerably distant. Mobile nodes mounted over vehicles opportunistically entering the range of a stationary source serve as relays that carry bundles to the destination. In this letter, we introduce a novel relaying scheme that probabilistically determines a vehicle's suitability to carry bundles. Hence, bundles are released to a present vehicle if and only if that latter contributes in minimizing the mean transit delay. Extensive simulations were performed to gauge the merit of the proposed scheme.

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Wissam Fawaz

Papers

Disruption-Tolerant Networking: A Comprehensive Survey on Recent Developments and Persisting Challenges

Service level agreement and provisioning in optical networks

UAV-Aided Cooperation for FSO Communication Systems

A Simple Free-Flow Traffic Model for Vehicular Intermittently Connected Networks

Probabilistic Bundle Relaying Schemes in Two-Hop Vehicular Delay Tolerant Networks