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Trust and scalable blockchain-based message exchanging scheme on VANET

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Abstract

Ephemeral vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) are large decentralized, distributed networks that communicate by exchanging information about their surroundings to make informed, real time decisions. However, a VANET, is neither trustworthy nor scalable. Currently, centralized trusted authorities determine the trustworthiness of the vehicles in the network. This is very inefficient. This paper addresses the following question: How can we determine, without central authority, the trustworthiness of a message sent by a vehicle on a distributed, decentralized, dynamic vehicular ad hoc network? The solution is based on the blockchain. We propose a Bayesian trust inference model that considers both the trustworthiness of the message and the vehicle sending the message. The model uses real time event data reports as priors in the beta distribution computation. We also introduce dynamic metrics in our model that captures the trustworthiness of the message with respect to time and distance. To reduce message overhead and increase scalability, we partition the road network into zones. The vehicles within a zone are therefore localized. Each zone consists of road side units (RSUs). Collectively, the RSUs form a blockchain network. The vehicles upload the calculated trust values to the RSU blockchain nodes. There is no need for extra infrastructure as the existing connections between the on-board units in vehicles and RSUs can be utilized. The blockchain network is implemented on a Hyperledger framework. We perform various experiments on blockchain and VANET parameters to test the feasibility of our model using the data from Winnipeg Public Works Department, Manitoba, Canada. We show that the use of previous reports as probabilistic priors in our blockchain framework model is more resilient than other research models that focus on using historical data or estimates for their simulations.

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Notes

  1. Note that trust-less in this case refers to a mechanism of distributed trust where all the participants can reach a consensus on the canonical truth [12]. In other words, trust is transferred from an intermediary, such as a certificate authority to all the vehicles in the network.

  2. Trust inference refers to the process a vehicle uses to calculate the trustworthiness of other vehicles it interacts with in the network.

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Acknowledgements

The second and third authors thank Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada for their support in conducting this research. The first author thanks University of Manitoba and NSERC for their partial support in funding this research.

Funding

The first author thanks University of Manitoba and NSERC for their funding support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

    Chukwuka Chukwuocha, Parimala Thulasiraman & Ruppa K. Thulasiram

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  1. Chukwuka Chukwuocha
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  2. Parimala Thulasiraman
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  3. Ruppa K. Thulasiram
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Correspondence to Parimala Thulasiraman.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection: Special Issue on Blockchain for Peer-to-Peer Computing Guest Editors: Keping Yu, Chunming Rong, Yang Cao, and Wenjuan Li

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Chukwuocha, C., Thulasiraman, P. & Thulasiram, R.K. Trust and scalable blockchain-based message exchanging scheme on VANET. Peer-to-Peer Netw. Appl. 14, 3092–3109 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12083-021-01164-9

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