PMAS: Predictive Mobility-Aware Scheduling for 6TiSCH IoT Networks

Overview

PMAS is a lightweight predictive mobility-aware scheduling framework for mobile 6TiSCH IoT networks. It addresses the stale schedules, delayed routing adaptation, and repeated negotiation overhead that occur when conventional reactive scheduling mechanisms operate under mobility.

The framework estimates the residual usable lifetime of candidate wireless links from signal dynamics. This predicted link lifetime is then integrated into both parent selection and TSCH cell allocation, allowing communication resources to be assigned according to expected future connectivity.

Key Highlights

• Introduces Link Horizon for estimating the remaining usable lifetime of mobile wireless links
• Uses utility-based predictive parent selection considering link quality, stability, and expected longevity
• Aligns TSCH cell allocation with predicted link lifetime and traffic demand
• Includes volatility-aware compensation for dynamic wireless conditions
• Requires no additional control packets, dedicated control cells, or global rescheduling
• Evaluated using Cooja under varying mobility, traffic load, and network-size conditions