Mobility-Based Clustering in VANETs Using Affinity Propagation

The recent research in cluster-based MAC and routing schemes for Vehicle Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs) motivates the necessity for a stable VANET clustering algorithm. Due to the highly mobile nature of VANETs, mobility must play an integral role in cluster formation. We present a novel, mobility-based clustering scheme for Vehicle Ad hoc Networks, which utilizes the Affinity Propagation algorithm in a distributed manner. The proposed algorithm considers typical vehicular mobility during cluster formation, which produces clusters with high stability. Simulation results confirm the superior performance of the proposed algorithm, when compared to other accepted mobility-based clustering techniques. Clustering performance is measured in terms of average cluster head duration, average cluster member duration, average rate of cluster head change, and average number of clusters.