Load Balanced Coverage with Graded Node Deployment in Wireless Sensor Networks

TLDR: A novel graded node deployment strategy is proposed that generates minimum traffic, just sufficient for coverage, and a distributed, nearly load-balanced data gathering algorithm is developed to deliver packets to the sink node via minimum-hop paths that also helps to limit the network traffic.

Abstract: In this paper, to gather streams of data in static wireless sensor networks, a novel graded node deployment strategy is proposed that generates minimum traffic, just sufficient for coverage. Based on this node distribution, a distributed, nearly load-balanced data gathering algorithm is developed to deliver packets to the sink node via minimum-hop paths that also in turn helps to limit the network traffic. An average case probabilistic analysis is done based on perfect matching of random bipartite graphs to establish a theoretical lower bound on the number of nodes to be deployed. Analysis and simulation studies show that the proposed model results huge enhancement in network lifetime that significantly overrides the cost due to over deployment. Hence, this technique offers an excellent cost-effective and energy-efficient solution for node deployment and routing in large wireless sensor networks to operate with prolonged lifetime.