Robust Communication Through Collective Adaptive Relay Schemes for Maritime Vessels

Abstract

Communication in maritime environments poses significant challenges due to the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of the medium: ships are mobile, the topology changes continuously, and infrastructure coverage may be sparse or absent. In this work, we investigate how collective adaptive systems can be leveraged to design robust relay communication schemes for fleets of maritime vessels. Inspired by self-organisation principles, we propose relay strategies where vessels collectively and dynamically elect relay nodes, maintaining end-to-end communication even under adverse conditions such as node failures, varying densities, and diverse communication ranges. The approach is evaluated through simulation, demonstrating resilience and adaptability compared to static or centralised alternatives.