A method to improve signal quality in wireless ad-hoc networks with limited mobility

A wireless ad-hoc network is a collection of nodes that are dynamically and arbitrarily located in such a manner that the interconnections between each node are capable of changing on a continual basis. In this paper, we provide a novel way to improve node interconnects without changing the overall network topology by allowing nodes to have limited mobility. Received signal strength (RSS) measurements are recorded from neighboring nodes as the node makes small changes in position. This allows the node to move out of fades due to multi-path or shadowing, and is a form of selection diversity that requires only a single antenna. This algorithm is tested using a full 3-D ray tracing propagation model as well as physical measurements in an indoor scenario.