Adaptive and energy-efficient clustering architecture for dynamic sensor networks

Energy efficiency is a prominent design principle for any wireless sensor network protocol. In this paper a distributed network topology geared for maximizing network longevity and sensing coverage is presented. The main idea behind the proposed topology is to develop an energy aware clustering protocol resilient for network dynamics. The proposed clustering protocol is aiming at efficiently cluster of the network sensor nodes around relatively high residual energy cluster head nodes. Meanwhile, guaranteeing uniform distribution of cluster heads all over the entire sensing field. Furthermore, the proposed topology employs an adaptive node activity protocol to dynamically manage the duty cycle of cluster members in each cluster. Analytical and simulation results are presented to validate the proposed topology. It is shown that the proposed topology extends network longevity, while maintaining a desirable sensing coverage quality.