Exploiting the Wisdom of the Crowd: Localized, Distributed Information-Centric VANETs

Beyond the initial focus on vehicular safety application, there is considerable scope for the development of other information-rich applications, which can provide convenience and comfort features to drivers and passengers. We argue that an Internet-like end-to-end networking framework might not always be the best fit for the unique nature of vehicular application spatially and temporally localized, dynamic, and data-intensive. In this research challenge article, we propose a top-down framework called Information-Centric Networking on Wheels to develop a generic network architecture supporting futuristic information-rich VANET applications, ranging from location-based services to real-time audio/video transfer. The key design philosophy of our proposed framework is that VANET communication is scoped by three key characteristics of information relevance: space, time, and user interest. Using this philosophy, we advocate the development of protocols for information dissemination and management that allow for localized in-network operations. An important feature of the proposed IC NoW framework is that protocols and applications are implemented in a distributed manner using local decision rule sets, taking into account fresh local information. We also pay special attention to ensure the proposed framework is easy to interface with existing cellular infrastructure, whenever needed. This framework enables modular design, facilitating easy application development and creating a smooth migration path during the deployment evolution path.