Packet Delivery Performance of Simple Cooperative Relaying in Real-World Car-to-Car Communications

We evaluate the packet delivery performance of low-complex cooperative relaying in car-to-car communications by real-world measurements. The ratio and temporal correlation of packet delivery are evaluated for suburban and highway environments using three cars equipped with programmable radios and serving as sender, relay, and destination. We compare the relaying performance to that of pure time diversity and show how temporal autocorrelation of packet delivery is a key factor in whether or not relaying exhibits benefits. Results are relevant in the design of relay selection protocols, as they give guidelines for the affordable selection delay.