WirlWind—WIReLess Wide area INciDent network

Effective emergency communications are needed in areas with damaged infrastructure or where there is no infrastructure. WirlWind provides this capability. WirlWind supports a reliable TCP/IP data communications network in an infrastructure-less area and supports Geolocation-based tracking and messaging.

The WirlWind System provides:

• End-to-end IP connectivity.
• Dual-radio ad-hoc networking (beyond-line-of-site via multihop routing).
• 3x+ range improvement over 802.11 (WiFi) data networks.
• Compatibility with 802.11 COTS products and current VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems.
• VoIP/data transmit/receive capability.
• Geolocation-based communications. The WirlWind architecture supports the ability to send a message to all personnel and equipment in an arbitrary geographical location.
• A Google maps GeoClient User Interface that provides a moving map display of node (i.e., personnel or equipment) locations in real-time.

Benefits of WirlWind:

• WirlWind greatly reduces the probability that users will lose communication while responding to an incident.
• WirlWind provides an affordable tracking and communications system.
• Incident commanders using WirlWind know where people and resources are, allowing more effective allocation of resources and faster reactions to changing field conditions.
• WirlWind allows field personnel to more accurately know where they are, allowing more accurate delivery of resources such as water drops.
• WirlWind users can send targeted warnings to regions, for faster notification and reaction.
• WirlWind improves intelligence and reconnaissance operations. E.g., weather centers can send updated weather reports to a region or user; users can send lightning strike reports and visual images back to the command center.

A key component of the WirlWind system is the PDDR (Portable Dynamically Deployable Router). The PDDRs create an ad-hoc network that allows any wireless node to talk to any other node even if they are not within direct communication range (line-of-site). WirlWind automatically discovers other nodes that may be able to relay packets from the sender to the receiver and sets up a path or route through these relay nodes to enable communication between the sender and the receiver. WirlWind will find new paths as relay nodes appear and disappear. This provides a self-reconfiguring/healing ad-hoc network. Few if any commercially available or envisioned communications systems have this ability to use mobile user nodes or communication devices as repeaters in a dynamically changing, multi-radio, ad-hoc network.

A WirlWind PDDR has the following features:

• 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz Radio transceivers.
• 1 mile data range (TCP/IP) at 1 Watt and 900 MHz using standard antenna.
• Application Layer independence—seamless merging of multiple radios within the physical layer.
• Rechargeable D-Cell power supply, capable of 18 hours of continuous operation.
• Lightweight: 4 lb device can be deployed on-the-fly, for example by hanging from a tree as pictured.
• Small (6 inches high, 8 inches deep, 3.5 inches thick)
• Self-forming and self-healing ad hoc network software.
• Cost approximately $500.

This ad-hoc functionality architecture is currently implemented using Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR). Alternatively, another routing protocol such as Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing or ATCorp39;s proprietary SARA protocol could be used. Currently, 900MHz radios and 802.11 radios are supported. We are working to add support for 4.9GHz public safety radios. WirlWind also supports communication “reach back” through satellite communication. ATCorp's MobiWeb/SDX, GlobalStar, INMARSAT, Iridium or GPRS / cellular could also be employed as communication methods. For a given message or data flow, the system chooses the best communication method available (900MHz, 802.11, satellite, etc.) for each network “hop”.

GeoTracking and geolocation based communications are supported by a GeoTracking component that runs on top of the multi-RF mesh. A small, very lightweight GPS tracking device is worn by each user and installed in each vehicle to be tracked. As illustrated in the following figure, a tree of GeoServers track locations of users and equipment. A GeoClient User Interface uses this tracking system to create a moving map display of node (i.e., personnel or equipment) location in real-time using Google Maps. The GeoTracking component also supports the WirlWind geolocation based communications functionality.