An Area Localization Scheme for Large Scale Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

TLDR

Underwater localization is challenging due to limited bandwidth, impaired channels, high equipment cost, and difficulty achieving exact positioning in deep environments. This study proposes a Mobile DET-based 3D multi‑power area localization scheme for large‑scale UWSNs. The scheme combines a 2D multi‑power area localization approach with a detachable elevator transceiver that moves vertically to broadcast its position, while nodes use pressure sensors to know their depth, yielding simple, accurate, scalable, and low‑cost localization. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed scheme achieves high efficiency.

Abstract

In this paper, we study an area localization problem in large scale Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs). The limited bandwidth, the severely impaired channel and the cost of underwater equipment all makes the underwater localization problem very challenging. Exact localization is very difficult for UWSNs in deep underwater environment. We propose a Mobile DETs based efficient 3D multi-power Area Localization Scheme (3D-MALS) to address the challenging problem. In the proposed scheme, the ideas of 2D multi-power Area Localization Scheme(2D-ALS) and utilizing Detachable Elevator Transceiver (DET) are used to achieve the simplicity, location accuracy, scalability and low cost performances. The DET can rise and down to broadcast its position. And it is assumed that all the underwater nodes underwater have pressure sensors and know their z coordinates. The simulation results show that our proposed scheme is very efficient.