Coverage and Energy Analysis of Mobile Sensor Nodes in Obstructed Noisy Indoor Environment: A Voronoi-Approach

Abstract

When deploying a wireless sensor network (WSN) identifying optimal locations for the nodes is challenging, especially so if the environment is either (i) unknown or (ii) obstacle-rich. We proposes BISON (Bio-Inspired Self-Organizing Network), a variant of the Voronoi algorithm to address this challenge. Among the features of the approach are the restrictions placed upon the abilities of the nodes: (i) all information is sensed locally as well as (ii) subject to communication noise. Performance is measured as (i) the percentage of area covered, (ii) the total distance traveled by the nodes, (iii) the cumulative energy consumption and (iv) the uniformity of nodes’ distribution. Obstacle constellations and noise levels are studied systematically and a collision-free recovery strategy for failing nodes is proposed. Results obtained from extensive simulations show the algorithm outperforming previously reported approaches in both, convergence speed, as well as deployment cost.