• Deepika Dhawan
• Rajeshwar Singh

Due to dynamic nature of nodes and multiple routing requirements, routing has become one of the most daunting tasks in Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs). In recent past, researchers have proposed a number of mechanisms to overcome challenges of routing. However, many parameter requirements such as minimization of end to end delay, improvement in throughput, and efficient adaptation to changes in network topology with low control overhead are still researcher’s major concern. During recent 10 years biological insects and nature inspired mechanism have gained a lot of attention because they offer possible optimized solutions ensuring high robustness in the network, flexibility, and low cost. Moreover, it provides solution to large-scale sophisticated problems without having a traditional centralized control. Swarm Intelligence (SI), more specially Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) meta-heuristic is the most acceptable and successfully applied nature inspired mechanism to balance the various routing related requirements in dynamic MANETs. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of nature inspired ACO routing mechanism and comparison of various routing protocols proposed for MANETs. The main contributions of this paper are reviewing of the ACO principle; classification of ACO based routing protocols into three categories 1. Active 2. Reactive and 3. Hybrid. We have reviewed a large number of protocols year-wise and classified them into Active, Reactive and Hybrid category. Moreover, the simulation software for all the protocols are reviewed and described the main performance metrics evaluated for these protocols. Further, we have compared the selected routing protocols from the perspective of classification, simulation software, which will enable researchers to overcome the design and simulation challenges of ACO based routing protocols for routing in MANETs.

Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs), Swarm Intelligence (SI), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Routing.

"NATURE INSPIRED ROUTING MECHANISMS IN MOBILE AD HOC NETWORKS A REVIEW", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no.200-208, May 2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRCW06040.pdf

"NATURE INSPIRED ROUTING MECHANISMS IN MOBILE AD HOC NETWORKS A REVIEW", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 5, page no. pp200-208, May 2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIRCW06040.pdf