Description:
Real-Time Allocation of Wireless Access Points in Disaster Relief Efforts

Research Objective
The purpose of this study is to analyze how to set up an ad hoc wireless communication network most effectively in a disaster relief situation [7]. Consider a scenario when a city is paralyzed by a natural disaster or by a terrorist attack, and all existing communication infrastructures are broken. The disaster relief team comes into the city and needs to set up an ad hoc wireless communication network.

The disaster relief team identifies several locations that are suitable to establish wireless access points. However, initially the relief team may not have sufficient resource to set up an access point at each of these locations. Additional resource (from the state government or the federal government) may arrive over time, with estimated arrival times subject to delays.

Existing access points may fail in an unpredictable manner. The research question is how to allocate newly-arrived resource to set up wireless access points at various locations in order to maximize the overall utility during the period of disaster relief.

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NPS Point of Contact:
Kyle Lin

Email:
kylin@nps.edu

Sponsor:
TBD