Flar: An adaptive fuzzy routing algorithm for communications networks using mobile ants

Swarm intelligence, as demonstrated by a natural biological swarm, such as an ant colony, has many powerful properties that are desirable for effective routing in communications networks. In this paper, we propose an intelligent routing algorithm that we are calling Fuzzy Logic Ant-based Routing (FLAR), which is inspired by ant colonies and enhanced by fuzzy logic techniques. Using a fuzzy system as an intelligent and expert mechanism allows multiple constraints to be considered in a simple and intuitive way. Simulation results and a comparison of the proposed method with two state-of-the-art routing algorithms show better performance and a higher fault tolerance for our approach, particularly in regard to link failures.